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GOP Should Have Moved Kavanaugh Nomination ‘Faster,’ Trump Says

President again says Democrats are running a ‘con’

President Donald Trump waves after addressing the media on Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He’s back at the UN on Wednesday. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump waves after addressing the media on Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He’s back at the UN on Wednesday. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump said he wanted Senate Republicans to move faster to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after his first accuser came forward, and again said Democrats are trying to “con” the country.

“Republicans could not be nicer, could not be more respectful … to the women,” the president told reporters as he arrived at a UN conference in New York on Wednesday morning.

[Laughing Matter: Trump’s Second Day at UN Is a Wild Ride]

“I think I might have pushed it ahead a lot faster,” he said, but added he is “okay” with how Senate Republicans opted to move forward with a planned Thursday hearing with testimony from Kavanaugh’s first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, as well as the nominee.

“I’m okay with that,” Trump said. “I know this particular man. … He’s outstanding. He’s a gem.”

On Senate Democrats, the president again issued a sharp rebuke. “They go in a back room and they talk to each other. And they laugh,” Trump said. “It’s a con game.”

Watch: Highlights of Trump’s UN Address in 2 Minutes

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[World Leaders Laugh as Trump Boasts of Accomplishments]

Shifting topics, Trump  said all options remain on the table for the political and economic crisis in Venezuela, not ruling out U.S. military force to resolve the situation in the South American country. He called what the government has done a “disgrace,” a day after announcing new sanctions aimed at the inner circle of Nicolás Maduro, the country’s president. The U.S.’s grounds against Maduro include allegations of corruption, drug trafficking and human rights abuses.

Trump also said he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again “in the very near future,” he said as he arrived for a UN Security Council meeting Wednesday. He was not more specific about the date.

Earlier this week, Trump’s South Korean counterpart told Trump only he and Kim could strike a meaningful nuclear disarmament deal.

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