Trump defends Kavanaugh, wants to hear from accuser

Washington, September 19 

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said it would be “unfortunate” if the woman who has accused his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault did not testify before a U.S. Senate committee, as he stepped up his defense of the conservative federal appeals court judge.

Trump answered questions about Kavanaugh, whose nomination is now in jeopardy in the Senate, as he left the White House to visit hurricane-stricken areas in North Carolina and South Carolina.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees Supreme Court nominations, has scheduled a hearing for Monday and invited both Ford and Kavanaugh to testify. Ford’s lawyers said on Tuesday she would not appear before the Senate until after the FBI investigates the allegations. Officials have said the FBI is not looking into the matter.

“Look, if she shows up and makes a credible showing, that will be very interesting and we’ll have to make a decision. But I can only say this: he’s such an outstanding man, very hard for me to imagine that anything happened,” Trump told reporters.

“I really want to see her,” Trump said. Democrats, already opposed to Kavanaugh, have sought an FBI investigation, a request Republicans rebuffed. — Reuters