Senator Jeff Flake Calls Trump’s Comments On Christine Blasey Ford ‘Appalling’
Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake said that President Donald Trump’s mocking of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford was “not right” and “kind of appalling.”
Blasey Ford testified last week in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Flake is a sitting Senator, about her alleged 1982 sexual assault by Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
President Trump mocked Blasey Ford at a Mississipi rally this week, according to CNN— despite him calling her a “good witness” earlier this week, making it seem like her recollection of the night wasn’t up to snuff in his opinion.
“I had one beer. Well, do you think it was — nope, it was one beer,” Trump said, mimicking Ford’s sworn testimony in front of the Senate committee.
“How did you get home? I don’t remember. How’d you get there? I don’t remember. Where is the place? I don’t remember. How many years ago was it? I don’t know.”
The crowd loved the display, laughing and applauding the President’s mockery.
“I don’t know. I don’t know,” President Trump continued on. “What neighborhood was it in? I don’t know. Where’s the house? I don’t know. Upstairs, downstairs — where was it? I don’t know — but I had one beer. That’s the only thing I remember.”
During a rally in Mississippi Tuesday night, Trump mocked Christine Blasey Ford's account of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and told the crowd that the #MeToo movement was unfairly hurting men https://t.co/Yh2A8lac8G pic.twitter.com/AoMRm6XGgu
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 3, 2018
President Trump also turned his rage on Democrats, telling rally goers that “all they [Democrats] really know how to do is obstruct, resist, demolish, destroy and delay.”
In a later tweet, Trump wrote, “VOTERS ARE REALLY ANGRY AT THE VICIOUS AND DESPICABLE WAY DEMOCRATS ARE TREATING BRETT KAVANAUGH! He and his wonderful family deserve much better.”
I see it each time I go out to Rallies in order to help some of our great Republican candidates. VOTERS ARE REALLY ANGRY AT THE VICIOUS AND DESPICABLE WAY DEMOCRATS ARE TREATING BRETT KAVANAUGH! He and his wonderful family deserve much better.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 3, 2018
Flake dramatically changed course last week after initially announcing that he would vote in favor of putting Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court by calling for a week-long FBI investigation into Blasey Ford’s allegations against Kavanaugh, the Inquisitr details.
Flake continued his criticism of Trump’s comments on Blasey Ford on NBC’s Today show, according to the Washington Post.
“There’s no time and no place for remarks like that,” Flake said. “To discuss something this sensitive at a political rally is just not right. It’s just not right. I wish he hadn’t done it. It’s kind of appalling.”
Shortly after, another key Republican vote needed to confirm Kavanaugh — Sen. Susan Collins of Maine — expressed her distaste with the comments, telling reporters that, “The president’s comments were just plain wrong.”
Even reliable Trump allies have sounded off about the comments.
Sen. Lindsey Graham quipped that everything the President had said was true — but was a bit concerned with the delivery.
“I would tell him, ‘Knock it off, you’re not helping,’ ” Graham said.
