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Brett Kavanaugh: Trump says allegation of sexual assault made by Christine Ford could not have been 'as bad as she says'

Donald Trump has for the first time explicitly questioned the sexual assault allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford, saying that if they had been “as bad as she says” charges would have been filed with local police at the time.

In remarks that broke with the more cautious approach the president has adopted in recent days in relation to the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, his nominee for the Supreme Court, Mr Trump appeared to suggest that his nominee’s accuser was exaggerating what she claims happened to her. He also urged her to provide specific details of the assault she says happened at a high school party in Maryland.

“I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local law enforcement authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time and place,” he said.

“Judge Brett Kavanaugh is a fine man, with an impeccable reputation, who is under assault by radical left wing politicians who don’t want to know the answers, they just want to destroy and delay. Facts don’t matter. I go through this with them every single day in DC.”

The president then repeated a criticism he had made earlier in the week about the timing surrounding the revelations of Ms Ford’s claims. “The radical left lawyers want the FBI to get involved NOW. Why didn’t someone call the FBI 36 years ago,” he said.

In the days since Ms Ford’s allegations relating to a party 36 years ago at which she says Mr Kavanaugh tried to forcibly take off her clothes, Mr Trump’s diplomatic and controlled comment received considerable attention and comment. While standing by Mr Kavanaugh, who has repeatedly denied the accusations made by Ms Ford, Mr Trump was careful not to attack her – apparently aware of the sensitivity of the issue and the danger of upsetting more female voters ahead of the midterm elections.

“I can only say this: he is such an outstanding man. Very hard for me to imagine that anything happened,” Mr Trump said on Wednesday.

As to Ms Ford, he said: “I’d really want to see her. I really would want to see what she has to say If she shows up that would be wonderful. If she doesn’t show up that would be unfortunate.”

Indeed, such was his cautious online manner – which appeared to date to around September 14, the day his former campaign manager Paul Manafort agreed to a plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller – some speculated the president was intentionally trying to watch what he said.

Before Mr Trump’s flurry of tweets on Friday morning, Adam Davidson, a writer for The New Yorker, wrote: “I just read through all of Trump’s tweets since the Manafort indictment. Almost none were written by him and nearly all were unusually anaemic. They finally got him to stop tweeting. I would guess he is truly scared, shocked, reeling.”

The Senate Judiciary Committee was to have voted on Thursday on whether to pass Mr Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the full senate for a confirmation vote. After Ms Ford’s allegations emerged, committee chairman Chuck Grassley invited both Ms Ford and the judge to appear next Monday to provide further testimony.

Speaking through her lawyers, Ms Ford has said she is willing to cooperate but feels the FBI should probe her accusation first. Both Mr Grassley and Mr Trump have said they do not believe the FBI needs to carry out such a probe.

On Thursday evening, Ms Ford said she would testify next week if senators provided “fair terms” and ensured her safety, her lawyers have said.

In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, lawyers for Mr Ford said that while Monday did not give her time to prepare, she was willing to cooperate and testify if senators offered terms that were fair and which ensured her safety.

Mr Trump and the White House are desperate to get Mr Kavanaugh confirmed as soon as possible so that Republicans, especially those seeking to appeal to social conservatives and Christian evangelicals, can use it as part of their campaign strategy ahead of the midterm polls on November 6.

Lisalyn Jacobs, CEO of the group Just Solutions: Bringing in justice to counteract injustice, told The Independent, it was commonplace for the FBI to carry out follow-up enquiries at the request of senators when nominees were being scrutinised. She said given the senate was controlled by the Republicans, it was up to them to make this happen.

She said Mr Trump’s “glib” comments about Ms Ford appeared to be straight from a playbook he has used before. “He seems to have a particular perspective on this. But the only person whose perspective we should be harking to is Dr Ford’s,” she said.