Tom Williams/ZUMA
President Donald Trump’s steady withdrawal from his uncharacteristically measured approach to the sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh reached its inevitable peak on Tuesday.
“How did you get home? I don’t remember,” Trump said, openly mocking Ford’s testimony. “How did you get there? I don’t remember. But I had one beer, that’s the only thing I remember.”
The remarks, which triggered laughter and applause from his supporters, made it clear that the president no longer cared to play along with Republican claims that they were empathetic to sexual assault survivors and were dedicated to providing Ford a fair hearing on her allegations.
Now, it appears that the rest of the party is falling in line with the president. On Wednesday, Sen. Mitch McConnell defiantly proclaimed that he and his Republican colleagues would not be deterred by sexual assault survivors who have confronted Republican lawmakers, including the Senate Majority Leader, in public this week to vote against Kavanaugh’s nomination. “I want to make it clear to these people who are chasing my members around the hall her here, or harassing them at the airports, or going to their homes,” McConnell said. “We won’t be intimidated by these people. There is no chance in the world they’re going to scare us out of doing our duty.”
.@senatemajldr on people protesting GOP Senate members: “There is no chance in the world they’re going to scare us out of doing our duty.” pic.twitter.com/aGcjj044CJ
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 3, 2018
McConnell was just one of several Republicans who ignored sexual assault survivors in public this week. In another instance on Monday Sen. David Perdue accused protesters of trying to touch him, before running to the men’s bathroom to dodge their questions.
How many stories does @senatemajldr need before he finally believes women like @traceyecorder & @nainadevi ? pic.twitter.com/BSF85xMMHH
— Ady Barkan🔥🌹 (@AdyBarkan) October 1, 2018
Top story: @CPDAction: 'WATCH: @sendavidperdue refuses to shake hands with survivors who are trying to share their stories with him. “Don’t touch me” he says when our co-ed @jeppsaddison reaches out.
Fine. You don’t w… pic.twitter.com/ude13B87V1, see more https://t.co/VsZnjD6pqq
— Just Listed (@JustListedBC) October 1, 2018
Shortly after McConnell’s speech on the Senate floor, Sen. Lindsey Graham responded to Trump’s remarks on Ford from the night before, first describing them as factually accurate and then saying he didn’t approve of the comments.
He then insisted that Ford was handled “respectfully” by Republicans and that Kavanaugh had been “treated like crap.”
Graham’s comments drew instant boo’s from the audience.
Lindsey Graham on Christine Blasey Ford: "This is what happens when you go through a trailer park with a $100 bill."
And on Donald Trump viciously mocking a sexual assault victim: "Everything he said was factually true." pic.twitter.com/ZPJEDJaxjg
— John Iadarola (@johniadarola) October 3, 2018
