It was bad enough that the entire Republican party went into some kind of collective spasm at the idea of believing a woman over a man, but their leader then made it worse by mocking her at a political rally to raucous cheers and laughter.
“There’s no time and no place for remarks like that. But to discuss something this sensitive at a political rally is just not right…It’s kind of appalling.” @JeffFlake on President Trump’s comments about Dr. Ford at a rally last night pic.twitter.com/6SaTLZK899
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 3, 2018
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) appeared on “The Today Show” show alongside Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) to discuss the fallout from the allegations, including the incident from Trump’s Tuesday political rally in which he viciously mocked Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.
WATCH: President Trump mocks Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Trump's Supreme Court pick Judge Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, during rally in Mississippi. https://t.co/pZfWN8IFMV pic.twitter.com/81YEs8oXr5
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) October 3, 2018
Flake called the comments “kind of appalling,” although people with any sense of common decency would agree that it is just downright appalling with no “kind of” thrown in as a qualifier.
Flake and Coons have been on a tour of public appearances in which they have banded together to decry the political divide in which sexual assault becomes a right or left issue instead of an issue of autonomy and safety for women. Flake was the lone Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee to insist that he would only consider a vote for Dr. Ford’s attacker, Brett Kavanaugh, for a seat on the Supreme Court following an investigation of her claims by the FBI.
His efforts may or may not end with a confirmation vote for Kavanaugh by the entire GOP, and praising him for just recognizing that women should be taken seriously is unnecessary. At this point, just as at all points in history, the fact that women deserve to be heard and not shamed for coming forward to report sexual assault should be obvious.
Twitter was appalled both at Trump’s words and Flake’s “kind of” hedging. Read some of their comments below:
Featured image screenshot via video
