The United States is continuing to reel from the revelation of credible sexual assault allegations against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, but to President Donald Trump, the whole scandal seems to be fun and games. He mocked claimed Kavanaugh victim Dr. Christine Blasey Ford during a Tuesday night rally speech in Mississippi.
Republican U.S. Senator from Maine — and widely perceived swing vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation — Susan Collins isn’t impressed. Questioned by reporters early Wednesday, she insisted:
‘The president’s comments were just plain wrong.’
Susan Collins: “The president’s comments were just plain wrong.” https://t.co/tP5ZSXHoGE pic.twitter.com/1E3gERCKIw
— The Hill (@thehill) October 3, 2018
He had mocked Ford for proving unable to fully remember some of the details of the event that happened all those years ago.
He rambled, intending to mimic her:
‘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. I don’t know. I don’t know.’
His dismissal of Ford’s account ignores the facts of the complexity of memories of traumatic events, especially those that happened some time ago. Why would a sexual assault victim hang onto every little detail of their trauma?
In theory, when Ford appeared recently before Congress — the venue in which she made the comments Trump mocked — she wasn’t supposed to be cross-examined. The hearing wasn’t a trial, although for many, her treatment made it feel like one. The point was supposed to be to air just how credible her allegations are in order to inform Senators’ decisions about Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. They weren’t and won’t be ruling on his guilt.
That’s how some — like Trump — have treated the situation anyway. To Republicans including South Carolina’s U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, Ford is a pawn in a vast political scheme against Kavanaugh, and she doesn’t even (supposedly) have enough evidence to fulfill a (non-existent) burden of proof. Kavanaugh himself has unsurprisingly gone along with this line of argument, yelling before the Senate that his life has been destroyed as part of an attack scheme on behalf of the Clintons.
In reality, they’ve got nothing to do with Ford bringing her traumatic story forward. In fact, Hillary Clinton laughed at the suggestion when confronted with it.
The GOP’s belligerence could cost them the support they need to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the nation’s highest court. A possibly final vote on his confirmation will soon be held.
Featured Image via YouTube screenshot
