Trump blasts Kavanaugh impeachment effort, calls allegations a 'hoax'

WASHINGTON — Sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh are a "hoax" cooked up by people who now want to impeach "a brilliant jurist," President Donald Trump said Monday.

"I've been hearing that that now they're talking about impeaching a brilliant jurist, a man that did nothing wrong, a man that was caught up in a hoax set up by the Democrats using the Democrats' lawyers, and now they want to impeach him," Trump said on the South Lawn of the White House as he left to give a speech to a police chiefs group in Orlando.

Last week, before the Senate voted to confirm Kavanaugh 51-49 Saturday, Trump mocked Christine Blasey Ford, who had accused Kavanaugh of trying to rape her when they were in high school. Then, as soon as Kavanaugh was confirmed, Trump said he believed Kavanaugh's denial over Ford's allegation.

The "hoax" remark is the furthest the president has gone in trying to discredit Ford and other accusers. Trump appeared to single out allegations by Julie Swetnick that Kavanaugh was present during at least one gang rape. "Take a look at the last one," he said. "It was all made up, it was fabricated, and it was a disgrace, and I think it's gonna really show you something come November 6th."

Trump and other Republicans have said the Kavanaugh fight has been a unifying and energizing event for GOP voters ahead of next month's midterm elections. Democrats say Republicans will be rejected at the polls in part because of the party's treatment of Kavanaugh's accusers.