President Trump today opened the door to delaying the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination due to sexual assault allegations.
“If it takes a little delay it’ll take a little delay,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I’m sure it will work out very well.”
Trump batted down a reporter who asked if Kavanaugh should withdraw, calling it a “ridiculous question.”
Trump defended Kavanaugh personally, calling the nominee a “very special guy” who has “never even had a little blemish on his record.”
But he also said the Senate should “hear everybody out” when it comes to the allegations.
Sen. Jeff Flake became the first Republican senator last night to state he would not vote for Kavanaugh until he heard from his accuser.
Senate Republicans are scrambling to contain the fallout from a sexual assault allegation against Kavanaugh.
GOP leadership is under growing pressure from multiple factions of their caucus, as well as Democrats, to allow Christine Blasey Ford, Kavanaugh’s accuser, to speak before the Senate Judiciary Committee after she decided to go public with her accusation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in the early 1980s.
It’s far from clear, however, whether Kavanaugh or Ford will appear before the committee, or whether anything will be done in public.