Trump to Senators: Ignore ‘Elevator Screamers’
President issues closing argument ahead of crucial vote on Brett Kavanaugh
As a crucial Senate vote on his controversial Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh neared, President Donald Trump appeared to lobby undecided senators by casting two women who confronted Sen. Jeff Flake last week as Democratic-funded “Troublemakers.”
Trump dubbed the women “very rude elevator screamers” and “paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad,” referring to wealthy liberal donor George Soros. The president appeared to plead with GOP senators to not “fall for it!” He ended his tweet with “#Troublemakers.”
Sparks flew even before the Senate Judiciary Committee started a hearing to vote on the nomination last Friday, as two women confronted the Arizona Republican, who had just announced he would vote in favor of Kavanaugh, in an elevator.
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“Look at me when I talk to you!” one of the women yelled at him. “What are you doing, senator?” the other shouted as Flake toggled between glancing at them and looking down.
CNN carried footage of the exchange as Flake headed to the hearing. Once he arrived in the hearing room, Flake spent much of the hours-long hearing looking pained and staring at the dais. Near the session’s end, he summoned friend Democratic Sen. Chris Coons into an anteroom, where they and other members negotiated a one-week FBI probe into sexual misconduct charges against Kavanaugh.
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Senate Republicans say a bureau-crafted report on that probe they began reviewing Thursday morning does not corroborate any single charge against Kavanaugh. Democrats responded by saying the probe was rushed and limited by the White House and Senate Republicans to intentionally find no new evidence.
The chamber is slated to vote at 10:30 a.m. on ending debate on the nomination. If that passes, it would set up an up-or-down vote sometime Saturday as Republicans inch closer to securing a high court with a 5-4 conservative bent.
Watch: Massive, Loud and Passionate Anti-Kavanaugh Protest Takes Over Hart Building
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