Eduardo MunozAlvarez/VIEWpress/Corbis via Getty Images(NEW YORK) — In an ongoing, freewheeling press conference, President Donald Trump again strongly defended his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh Wednesday, rejecting any suggestion he order a new FBI investigation into the multiple sexual assault and misconduct allegations against him, including an explosive new allegation from a third accuser.
“Here there was nothing to investigate,” Trump said in New York, at only his second solo news conference in the U.S. “They didn’t know location, year. They didn’t know anything,” he said, apparently referring to the first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, who says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both in high school. Kavanaugh has adamantly denied the accusation.
“It’s not going to change the Democrats’ minds,” the president said. “They destroyed a man’s reputation and they want to do more.”
Asked whether he thought all the women were liars, Trump said, “I can’t tell until I hear them.”
When asked whether there was any circumstance under which he would withdraw the nomination, Trump answered, “If I thought he was guilty of something like this, sure.”
On Thursday, Kavanaugh and his accuser, Ford, will answer questions and offer testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee in much-anticipated appearances that could potentially become a watershed political moment.
At one point, Trump appeared to sympathize with Kavanaugh and said over the years as a reality television star and Manhattan real estate mogul he faced four false accusations against him.
“I’m a very famous person unfortunately. I’ve been a famous person for a long time but I’ve had a lot of false charges made against me, really false,” Trump said. “People want fame. They want money. They want whatever,” he added.
On Thursday upon his return from New York, the president plans to have a face to face meeting with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who reportedly considered invoking the 25th Amendment against the president and even wiretapping meetings.
Trump said he doesn’t believe those stories.
“I am talking to him. We had a good talk. He said he never said it. He said he doesn’t believe it. He says he has a lot of respect for me, and he was very nice. We will see,” Trump said.
Earlier in the day, Trump slammed China over their trade practices and accused country of meddling in U.S. elections. Trump said that evidence will come out pointing to interference.
“We have evidence. It will come out. I can’t tell you now,” Trump said. On Sunday, a Chinese backed media company published full page ads aimed at farmers potentially affected by escalating trade tensions between the United States and China. “They have actually admitted they are going after farmers,” Trump said.
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