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WASHINGTON – President Trump said on Wednesday that he had found an allegation of sexual assault against Brett M. Kavanaugh, his Supreme Court candidate, hard to believe and described the scandal as "very unfair" for the judge .
Speaking with reporters before leaving the White House to visit hurricane-ravaged North Carolina, the president again refrained from directly attacking Judge Kavanaugh's accuser. . But he expressed his sympathy for his candidate.
"Really, they are hurting someone's life," he said of senators considering the appointment of Justice Kavanaugh. "Judge Kavanaugh was treated very, very hard and his family. I think it's a very unfair thing.
During his seven-minute meeting with reporters, Mr. Trump mentioned his candidate as "Judge Kavanaugh" three times. Yet, the president seemed to leave the possibility that he might have to find another candidate if the accuser proved to be credible.
"Look, if it shows up and makes a credible demonstration, it will be very interesting and we will have to make a decision," Trump said. "But I can only say this: he is an exceptional man. It's very difficult for me to imagine that something has happened.
Christine Blasey Ford, 51, a university professor in northern California, accused 53-year-old judge Kavanaugh of stuck her in a bed, trying to pull her clothes off and covering her mouth prevent both were teenagers in Maryland in the early 1980s. Judge Kavanaugh categorically denied this allegation, and the only other person that Dr. Blasey said to be in the room also stated he does not remember such an aggression and has never seen Judge Kavanaugh behave this way.
Another high school friend, Patrick J. Smyth, who was identified as also at the party described by Dr. Blasey but not in the room at the time of the alleged assault, said on Wednesday that he did not remembered nothing like it.
"I have no knowledge of the part in question; I have no knowledge either of the allegations of wrongdoing that she brought against Brett Kavanaugh, "he said in a letter sent to the Judiciary Committee Wednesday, according to CNN. He added, "I have never witnessed Brett Kavanaugh's inappropriate behavior towards women."
Speaking through his lawyers, Dr. Blasey, a research psychologist, Tuesday night all except exclude from appearing at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled for Monday to hear his allegations. The lawyers said she wanted to cooperate with the committee but it would be premature for her to testify and the F.B.I. should investigate first.
His position was identical to that of the Senate Democrats who complained that the Republicans were trying to quickly go through his charges quickly to quickly confirm Justice Kavanaugh. But Dr. Blasey's refusal to pledge to testify Monday seemed to solidify the Republican caucus behind the vote. Even the hesitant Republicans who insisted on hearing it before deciding on the confirmation said that she should show up Monday to testify.
Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the Republican Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has virtually dismissed calls by both Dr. Blasey and the Democrats for an outside investigation and to delay Monday's hearing. Asked about his response to the Democrats, he told reporters on Wednesday: "A simple answer to this question would be why Dianne Feinstein did not send the request to F.B.I. July 30 instead of now?
Senator Feinstein of California, the largest Democrat on the committee, received a letter from Dr. Blasey in July in his allegations but did not report it to the rest of the panel. Senator Feinstein said that she did not raise the issue because Dr. Blasey asked that it be kept confidential. But after stories surfaced last week about an anonymous accuser, Dr. Blasey allowed his name to be used in a interview posted by the Washington Post on Sunday.
Even rejecting a F.B.I. Investigation, Mr. Grassley said he would do everything possible until Friday to convince Dr. Blasey to come forward and testify before his panel, and he reiterated his offer to let her testify in private or to participate in a interview with public appearance in front of the television cameras.
"When monitoring is needed, we have all the information we need from everyone involved," he said. "We will communicate with everyone we know to communicate with our investigators. I hope the Democrats will participate in these talks.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a member of the Republican Committee of South Carolina and ally of the president who was traveling with him on Wednesday, said it needed a F.B.I. An inquiry before a hearing would not be about "the search for the truth, but postponement of the process after the mid-term elections," as the Democrats hope to take control of the Senate.
"It is imperative that the Judiciary Committee advance on the appointment of Kavanaugh and a vote in committee be taken as soon as possible," Graham said in a statement.
Following advice from aides who urged him not to inflame the situation, Trump remained relatively moderate in his latest comments. "If it shows up, it would be wonderful," he said. "If she does not show up, that would be a pity."
"I would really like to see it," he said. "I would really like to see what she has to say."
The allegations against Judge Kavanaugh appeared to diminish his public reputation, according to a new poll by Reuters and Ipsos. Opposition to his confirmation increased by 6 percentage points to 36% in an investigation that began before Dr. Blasey became public and continued Monday after the Post article. Only 31% of those surveyed said they were in favor of his confirmation, which would rank him among the lowest nominees if he was finally confirmed.
Follow Peter Baker and Nicholas Fandos on Twitter: @peterbakernyt @npfandos
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