WASHINGTON (AP) — Trading accusations, Democratic and Republican senators quarreled Tuesday over who will testify at what promises to be a dramatic and emotional hearing next Monday with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman who said he sexually assaulted her when they were in high school. But doubts were raised whether she would appear.
Kavanaugh was at the White House for a second straight day, but again did not meet with President Donald Trump. The president said he was “totally supporting” Kavanaugh and rejected calls for the FBI to investigate the accusation.
“I don’t think FBI really should be involved because they don’t want to be involved,” Trump said. As for Kavanaugh, he said, “I feel so badly for him that he’s going through this, to be honest with you. … This is not a man that deserves this.”
Democrats are demanding the FBI be given time to reopen its background investigation into Kavanaugh so it can check the assertions of Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing Kavanaugh of assault. They said the hearing should not move forward until that investigation is completed.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said an FBI investigation is “essential” to prevent the hearing from becoming merely a “he said, she said affair.”
Republicans responded reopening the investigation is up to the White House and they are sticking with their plans for a Monday hearing — with or without Ford’s participation.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said on radio’s “Hugh Hewitt Show” said he’d not yet received confirmation from Ford she would appear at the hearing, despite several attempts to reach her camp.
“So it kind of raises the question, do they want to come to the public hearing or not?” Grassley said.
Meanwhile, Mark Judge, a friend of Kavanaugh’s who Ford claims witnessed the assault, said Tuesday he does not wish to testify before the committee.
“I have no memory of this alleged incident. … More to the point, I never saw Brett act in the manner Dr. Ford describes,” he said in a statement sent to the committee by his lawyer. “I have no more information to offer the committee and I do not wish to speak publicly regarding the incidents described in Dr. Ford’s letter.”
A day earlier, Republicans abruptly agreed to hold a public Judiciary Committee hearing at which Kavanaugh and Ford have been invited to testify. Party leaders made that concession under pressure from senators demanding that the nominee and his accuser give public, sworn testimony before any vote on Trump’s nominee.
Schumer said Democrats want more than two witnesses, including Mark Judge. Limiting the hearing to just Kavanaugh and Ford would be “inadequate, unfair, wrong and a desire not to get at the whole truth,” Schumer said.
Sen. Dick Durbin, of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat, said Judge is needed “specifically and personally as an eyewitness to the occurrence. He should testify under oath.”
As both sides contemplated the hearing, Republicans were thinking through the optics of a nationally televised showdown between Kavanaugh and his accuser at which all 11 GOP Judiciary Committee members are men.
“There is no discussion of a Plan B” should Kavanaugh’s nomination fail, according to an individual familiar with the nomination process but not authorized to speak publicly. The person said there should be no such discussion until more information about the alleged incident comes to light.
The hearing is certain to be conflicting and emotive. It will offer a campaign season test of the political potency of a #MeToo movement that has already toppled prominent men from entertainment, government and journalism and energized female voters and political candidates.
Asked by Hewitt if he was considering including a female counsel who would ask questions, Grassley said, “All those things are being taken into consideration.” He added later, “You’re raising legitimate questions that are still in my mind.”
Sen. Orrin Hatch, of Utah, who is on the Judiciary Committee, said Republicans are “naturally” concerned about the optics of having only Republican men question Ford “because there’s always a lot of prejudice in these matters.”