Trump calls Kavanaugh accusations a 'hoax set up by the Democrats'

CNN/Stylemagazine.com Newswire | 10/8/2018, 12:53 p.m.
President Donald Trump on Monday claimed Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination was "caught up in a hoax set up by …
President Donald Trump

By Allie Malloy, CNN

(CNN) -- President Donald Trump on Monday claimed Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination was "caught up in a hoax set up by the Democrats." Kavanaugh is set to be sworn in by Trump later in the day.

"The things they said about him, I don't even think he ever heard of the words. It was all made up. It was fabricated and it's a disgrace and I think it's gonna really show you something come November 6th," Trump said as he left the White House for an event in Orlando.

Kavanaugh won Senate confirmation over the weekend, earning 50 'yes' votes -- the fewest ever for any Supreme Court justice.

He was accused of sexual assault and misconduct in the weeks before senators took their votes. He denied all the allegations.

Trump said the Democrats "tortured" Kavanaugh and his family over the accusations.

"I thought that the way they conducted themselves, the way they dealt with a high-level, brilliant -- going to be a great justice of the Supreme Court -- the way they really tortured him and his family I thought it was disgrace. I thought it was one of the most disgraceful performances I've ever seen," Trump said.

The President previously mocked Christine Blasey Ford's testimony about the alleged assault, and Monday's comments continued the pattern of disbelieving her.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, at least 13 women accused Trump of misbehavior ranging from sexual harassment to sexual assault. They came forward in the wake of a 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape that was released in October 2016 in which he is caught saying on a hot mic: "And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. ... Grab them by the p*y. You can do anything."

The White House -- through press secretary Sarah Sanders and others -- has dismissed all the allegations against him as old news that had been litigated during the campaign.

The President has also voiced suspicion about the year-old #MeToo movement, complaining that allegations made decades later can ruin a man's life. He has questioned why women wait so long to come forward if they are telling the truth. Last week, he expressed concern for men in this moment.

"It is a very scary time for young men in America, where you can be guilty of something you may not be guilty of," Trump told reporters. "This is a very, very -- this is a very difficult time. What's happening here has much more to do than even the appointment of a Supreme Court justice."