President Donald Trump should learn from the last-minute sexual assault allegations made against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh that if he appoints “a good person who gets destroyed in a despicable manner” and “you fight for him,” then “you’ll get rewarded.” Those were the remarks of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) (pictured above left), Thursday night on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle.”
“The president should take the following: If you appoint a good person who gets destroyed in a despicable manner and you fight for him, people will like you more,” Graham, a member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which considered Kavanaugh’s nomination, told Fox News host Laura Ingraham.
“Whether you’re a Trump Republican or a Bush Republican, libertarian or vegetarian Republican, we’re all together now thanks to this despicable attack on a good man,” Graham noted. “Here’s what I want the president to know — do the right thing and fight for it, and you’ll get rewarded.”
Christine Blasey Ford came forward publicly on September 16 and accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her some 36 years ago during a high school party in suburban Maryland. Two other women, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick, also came forward, alleging sexual assault.
All of the witnesses the women said would corroborate their claims either did not do so, contradicted them, or were unavailable. Kavanaugh has vehemently denied all of the accusations against him.
After key undecided GOP senators asked for a supplemental FBI investigation background check on the allegations, FBI officials allowed the senators to view the results Thursday.
“Whether you’re a Trump Republican or a Bush Republican, libertarian or vegetarian Republican, we’re all together now thanks to this despicable attack on a good man.”
“The FBI report supplemental background check interviewed nine people,” Graham said. “It came back very good for Judge Kavanaugh, and I would expect these three senators will vote yes. I hope they will because that’s what they asked for.”
Sens. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have not yet announced whether they ultimately will vote for Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) filed for cloture to end the Senate’s debate on Kavanaugh’s nomination late Wednesday and called for a procedural vote to take place Friday. As a result, the final vote tentatively is scheduled to take place Saturday.
“Kavanaugh’s going to be on the bench, and those who tried to destroy him are going to be looked at and they’re going to pay a price,” Graham insisted. “And I think this is going to help us in the midterms.”
“I hate that this is what it took to help Republicans,” he emphasized. “But to the other side — you made the biggest mistake of your life. To the three Republicans, you’re all friends of mine. If you were a ‘yes’ before this debacle, please be ‘yes’ now.”
Moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) also has not yet announced his decision on the Kavanaugh vote.
“If [Manchin] listens to the people of West Virginia, he will” vote ‘yes,'” Graham said. “Brett deserves your vote, Joe … If you listen to [Senate Minority Leader Chuck] Schumer [D-N.Y.], then the people of West Virginia are going to remember it.”
Graham lashed out at his Democratic colleagues for their treatment of both Kavanaugh and Ford. Although Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) received Ford’s allegations in July, she did nothing with them publicly and they ultimately leaked in September.
“To my good friends: this is advise and consent? This is your view of the Senate’s role, is to take a good man’s life, turn it upside down, betray Dr. Ford’s trust, do everything in the world to destroy him, to hold the seat open past the midterms?” Graham said.
Related: Cautiously Optimistic Republicans Press for Saturday Confirmation Vote
“That’s not advise and consent. That’s despicable. It’s going to blow up in your face,” Graham added. “I think the Democratic Party’s been taken over by irrationality. Hatred is their only platform … And I can’t believe in America you have to prove yourself innocent, that you’re guilty just by the accusation, that there is no requirement to corroborate because you’re a Republican.”
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway (above right) also spoke with Ingraham about White House officials’ optimism regarding the final Kavanaugh vote.
“So now it’s time to vote, and we feel pretty confident,” Conway said. “I’m not going to get ahead of those that are still sitting on the fence, but I will tell you, Laura, that there are some red state Democrats who have a really terrible decision to make.”
“They either have to accede to the will of their voters who want Judge Kavanaugh confirmed … or they can go and be complicit with a process that has been fraught with hysterical and hyperbole and hyperpartisanship, and hapless Democrats trying to undo election results from two years ago, trying to slow down this nomination to get ahead of the midterm elections this year,” she continued.
“Speaking of the midterms, I want to thank all these crazy liberals because they have done something that wasn’t able to do — they’ve energized disparate Republicans,” Conway said as she mocked the Democrats. “I think that we’re going to have the votes, and [Kavanaugh] ought to be confirmed.”
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