The New York Post reported that a newly released book about the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings recounts Melania Trump telling husband Donald that Christine Blasey Ford was lying during her testimony.
According to Justice on Trial: The Kavanaugh Confirmation and the Future of the Supreme Court, set to be released on Tuesday, Melania Trump said to Donald after hearing Blasey Ford testify that she was sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh: “You know that woman is lying, don’t you?”
Justice on Trial takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Kavanaugh hearings of September and October 2018, in which President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court was accused by multiple women of sexual harassment and assault.
The book recounts the perception of some in the public that Blasey Ford’s testimony lacked credibility because of some memory lapses and other odd aspects. But Blasey Ford’s description of how she told her husband about the assault also made it appear more credible to some, the book purports.
The impact of Melania
While nothing was ever said publicly about Melania’s opinion on Blasey Ford’s testimony at the time, there was some surprise about her husband’s steadfast support and defense of Kavanaugh when he could have pulled the nominee. Perhaps Melania’s private comments bolstered the president’s own gut feelings about the testimony and strengthened his resolve to support Kavanaugh.
In the end, there was no evidence given to support any of the allegations. Even Blasey Ford’s friends would not corroborate her story under oath, and the Republican-majority Senate was able to confirm Kavanaugh narrowly, 50 to 48, The New York Times reports.
The new book does not give information about why Melania said Blasey Ford was lying. What in the witness’ words or body language led Melania to come to that conclusion? The White House declined to comment.
More details emerge
Justice on Trial also detailed the experiences of Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who made a speech to explain why she decided to vote for Kavanaugh’s confirmation, Fox News reported. Collins, a swing vote who helped determine the nominee’s confirmation, revealed that her husband was threatened with ricin in a letter and that a neighbor complained that he was living next to a “rape apologist.”
Protesters also loudly picketed her home in Maine after she announced her decision to vote yes in the absence of concrete evidence that Kavanaugh had harassed or assaulted anyone. Other critics said that Collins’ decision was politically motivated; she was hoping to appease her conservative base.
As for Kavanaugh, the book says that he received conflicting advice about whether to show righteous indignation during his statement to senators on the Judiciary Committee during the hearings. Kavanaugh’s televised remarks did show his indignation as he protested his innocence, and were later seen as a turning point in the nomination process.
Kavanaugh made his statement the same day accusations from lawyer Michael Avenatti broke accusing him of participating in a gang rape as a college student. These allegations, too, had no evidence behind them, and Avenatti now faces numerous criminal charges for extortion and fraud in a number of other cases.
Kavanaugh’s statement was televised, and the majority of viewers felt that it had been effective in denying that he had committed the acts of which he was accused. His colleagues, including former President George W. Bush and Trump, also commended the statement.
Of course, Kavanaugh now sits on the Supreme Court, and has played in a role in several big decisions during his short tenure, including a recent controversial case on gerrymandering. Kavanaugh has also received praise from his colleagues, including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for his commitment to hiring women.
Indeed, by all accounts, if Melania did make this claim about Dr. Blasey Ford, it looks like she was justified.
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