Since Christine Blasey Ford came forward publicly with a sexual-assault allegation against Brett Kavanaugh, Republicans have exercised at least some caution in how they’ve phrased their dismissal of her claim. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), for example, said he believes the California professor must be “mixed up” — suggesting he sees her as confused, not dishonest.
Some prominent figures in conservative media have adopted a similar posture, arguing that Ford must be remembering her attack incorrectly.
Leave it to Donald Trump to show far less restraint. The Hill asked the president if he has “any concerns about the credibility of the accuser,” and after asking for an update on the afternoon’s developments, Trump said:
“This is no different than the Russian witch hunt, what they’ve done is they make up a lot of stuff and try and obstruct and resist.”
In context, “they” referred to Democrats.
There are a couple of relevant angles to this. The first is that the Russia scandal is quite real, and “they” haven’t made up any “stuff.”
The second is that there’s no reason to think Christine Blasey Ford has made up any “stuff,” either.
The professor has already made a significant sacrifice by agreeing to share her story. In response, she’s been targeted with threats; she’s moved from her home for security reasons; and she’s even keeping her distance from her own children.
Meanwhile, Ford has also implored the FBI to investigate her allegation, after which time she’s prepared to voluntarily give sworn testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Do these sound like the actions of someone who’s “made up a lot of stuff”?
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."