Kavanaugh accuser

Trump: Senate GOP 'could not be nicer' to Kavanaugh accuser

By REBECCA MORIN

President Donald Trump on Wednesday praised the way Senate Republicans have handled sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, saying GOP lawmakers "could not be more respectful" to accuser Christine Blasey Ford.

"I think the Senate, the Republicans could not be nicer in the way they're handling this," Trump said to reporters in New York, where he was participating in the United Nations General Assembly gathering. "They could have pushed it through two and a half weeks ago and you wouldn't be talking about it right now, which is frankly what I would have preferred, but they didn't do that."

Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were both in high school. Another woman, Deborah Ramirez, has also brought claims against Kavanaugh from when they were both in college.

Kavanaugh has denied both allegations.

Both Ford and Kavanaugh will be speaking to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. A vote in the committee to move forward with Kavanaugh's confirmation is currently scheduled for Friday.

"The Republicans could not be nicer, could not be more respectful to the process," Trump said. "Certainly could not be more respectful to the woman, and I'm okay with that."

Trump has doubted Ford's claim, tweeting that if the assault was as bad as she claims, she would have filed a police report.

The president has also said that the sexual assault allegations are political and put blame on the Democrats.

"You don't find people like this. He's outstanding. He's a gem. He's an absolute gem," Trump said of Kavanaugh. "And he's been treated very unfairly by the Democrats, who are playing a con game. They know what they're doing. It's a con."

"They go into a back room and they talk with each other, and they laugh at what they're getting away with. It's a con game, and that's what they play, and that's about the only thing they do well," Trump concluded.