Trump decries calls to impeach Kavanaugh as an ‘insult to American public’

U.S. President Donald Trump condemned calls to impeach newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh as an “insult to the American public.”

Speaking to reporters Monday as he left the White House, Trump said the sex assault claims against Kavanaugh were a “hoax” made up by the Democrats.

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“Now they’re thinking about impeaching a brilliant jurist, a man that did nothing wrong, a man that was caught up in a hoax that was set up by the Democrats using the Democrats’ lawyers,” Trump said.

“I think it’s an insult to the American public.”

The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Kavanaugh Saturday after weeks of hearings looking into his background. The Senate Judiciary Committee also heard testimony from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who alleges Kavanaugh pushed her onto a bed, groped her and tried to remove her clothes.

Trump had originally called Ford’s testimony credible but later changed his tune and mocked her for forgetting certain details.

Both Republicans and Democrats are looking to harness the anger generated by Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court ahead of the midterm elections.

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“I think you’re going to see a lot of things happen on Nov. 6 that would not have happened before,” Trump said. “The American public has seen this charade, has seen this dishonesty by the Democrats.”

New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler said if Democrats win the House in November, they would open an investigation into Kavanaugh.

Nadler called the FBI investigation into the allegations against Kavanaugh — which only lasted a week and was limited in scope — a “whitewash” investigation, according to the New York Times.

“It is not something we are eager to do,” Nadler told the Times. “But the Senate having failed to do its proper, constitutionally mandated job of advise and consent, we are going to have to do something to provide a check and balance, to protect the rule of law and to protect the legitimacy of one of our most important institutions.”

Even though he was already sworn in, a swearing-in ceremony for Kavanaugh is set for 7 p.m. on Monday at the White House, prolonging a victory lap for Trump.

—With a file from Reuters