Kellyanne Conway on Wednesday offered a robust defense of President Trump’s decision to mock Brett Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford, telling reporters that the White House was getting fed up with the softball treatment of the woman who has accused its Supreme Court nominee of attempted sexual assault.
“She’s been treated like a Fabergé egg by all of us beginning with me and the president,” Conway said, defending Trump’s sarcastic criticism of Ford during a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday. “He’s pointing out factual inconsistencies.
“Do you have corroborations for her claims? Can you fill in her memory gaps, her factual inconsistencies?” the White House adviser added. “That is part of the evidence gathering process in any hunt for truth and those who pretend they are searching for truth are already voting against Brett Kavanaugh.”
After two weeks where he received praise for his gingerly approach to women who have accused Kavanaugh of misconduct, Trump laced into Ford to a cheering crowd in Southaven, Mississippi.
“How did you get home?” the president asked, impersonating prosecutor Rachel Mitchell, who questioned Ford for Republican senators last week at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“I don’t remember,” he said as Ford.
“How did you get there?” Trump went on as Mitchell.
“I don’t remember,” he said again as Ford again.
And so it continued.
WATCH: President Trump mocks Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's testimony during a rally Tuesday night, then states “a man’s life is shattered,” in reference to Kavanaugh. https://t.co/m518aD9MlZ pic.twitter.com/FI4GIMbOlh
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 3, 2018
The moment, however, received a less charitable interpretation on cable news both by liberal outlets like MSNBC — which predictably blasted it — but also on Fox News.
On “Fox & Friends,” which Trump is known to regularly watch, co-host Brian Kilmeade suggested the joking around about Ford had been a mistake.
“The tactic of the president laying low has been lauded by all sides,” he said. “Last night, he chose to blow it as the FBI is handing in the report as early as today. As much as the crowd loved it, I wonder about the wisdom tactically of him doing that.”