[ad_1]
BILLINGS, Mt. (AP) – President Donald Trump has raised the specter of indictment if Democrats gain control of Congress and praises Judge Brett Kavanaugh's progress toward Supreme Court confirmation but denounces anger and malice of democrats towards his candidate as "sick"
At a rally in the Montana countryside, Trump tried to elevate Kavanaugh's confirmation as a decisive political test for voters as he embraced a Republican challenger to Democratic Senator Jon Tester, a GOP target in elections autumn.
Alongside his opponent, State Auditor Matt Rosendale, Trump said that Tester "will never dump the swamp because he lives in the swamp". Trump said: "Jon Tester talks like he's from Montana, but he votes like he was Nancy Pelosi" – a reference to the House Minority leader, a frequent target of Trump.
Trump said many Senate Democrats that Test helped to elect "attack Judge Kavanaugh and look like fools". He said that Kavanaugh – who is strongly opposed by Democrats to the Senate Judiciary Committee – deserved
"It's embarrassing to see these people making fun of themselves as they scream and shout at this great gentleman," Trump said after three days of committee hearings on the appointment.
The president's strategy on the appointment of the Supreme Court is aimed at reversing the situation of the tester and Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, where Trump was scheduled to appear on Friday. The two democrats in the red state find themselves caught between Senate leaders and more conservative voters in their states, who are more supportive of Trump's choice.
Neither of the two senators made it clear how they would vote on Kavanaugh's nomination, which Republican Senate leaders hope to see vote at the end of the month – weeks before the November 6 general election.
White House officials argue that the Supreme Court was a powerful motivator for Republican base voters in 2016, when Trump won the White House, and they seek to capitalize on Kavanaugh's nomination to overcome the enthusiasm of the Democrats. Similarly, a vote for Kavanaugh by Tester or Heitkamp could frustrate a Democratic base eager for a more confrontational approach to the Trump administration.
Democrats wonder if Kavanaugh's vote will resonate in the race to defeat Tester. He emphasized his independence and willingness to cross the corridor to work with Trump, who brought Montana 20 percentage points two years ago.
"It's not like you're in the grocery store and people are talking about Kavanaugh's confirmation. It's a great baseball affair for guys, "said Barrett Kaiser, a Montana-based Democratic strategist. Kaiser said the tester had demonstrated a "bipartite record of working with this administration when it helps Montana and opposes it when it does not."
The tester opposed the first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, and Trump's Republican tax bill, but fled to support a bill loosening the rules on banks. He has a TV ad promoting his collaboration with Trump as he seeks to be vaccinated against conservative critics.
Similarly, Heitkamp is engaged in a fierce re-election battle in heavily Republican North Dakota, where he narrowly won six years ago and now faces a more formidable opponent in Rep. Kevin Cramer. Cramer has been a strong supporter of Trump, who remains popular in North Dakota.
At the rally, Trump said the Democrats would "hurt" social security and "kill" Medicare. Trump promised during his 2016 campaign that he would save these programs.
Trump also warned that a Democrat-controlled Congress would pursue the indictment despite the strength of the economy and set a precedent that would hurt future presidents. Some Democratic lawmakers have called on Trump to be removed from office.
"Let's say that a democrat is elected and say we have a republican house. We are going to impeach this democrat, right? "Trump said. "You are going to have a country that will become a Third World country because if the opposing party becomes president, each time before it even begins, before even knowing whether or not it will do a great job, they will say: "We want to indict him!"
"If that happens, it's your fault because you did not vote," said Trump.
Trump also turned on the tester for his role in tormenting Trump's appointment of Ronny Jackson to head the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Earlier this year, Tester issued anonymous and unfounded allegations against Jackson, accusing him of drunkenness at work, over-the-counter medications and a hostile work environment. Jackson, a navy's rear-admiral who was Trump's personal physician, denied the claims and eventually withdrew his candidacy.
"What Tester did to Admiral Jackson should never be allowed," Trump said, calling the allegations "lies."
Superville reported from Washington. James MacPherson, Associated Press Editor, Bismarck, North Dakota; Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana; and Catherine Lucey and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.
Source link
