Trump breaks silence over Kavanaugh sexual assault allegations

Breaking his silence about the sexual assault allegations made about his Supreme Court nominee, President Trump called Brett Kavanaugh "one of the finest people I have ever known" and said he would back a full process that allows both sides to be heard so the American people can "be happy" with the process.

"We want to go through a process. We want to make sure everything is perfect," Trump told reporters Monday afternoon during a meeting of the President's National Council of the American Worker at the White House. "If it takes a little delay, it takes a little delay."

Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination was pushed into chaos on Sunday after Christine Blasey Ford, a 51-year-old research psychologist, broke her silence about an alleged incident that took place when the two were in high school. Ford told the Washington Post that Kavanaugh and a friend — both "stumbling drunk," Ford alleges — corralled her into a bedroom during a summer party in the 1980s, pinned her to a bed and groped her. When she tried to scream, she claims Kavanaugh put his hand over her mouth. She told the Post she eventually freed herself and ran out of the room.

"I thought he might inadvertently kill me," Ford said. "He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing."

Ford also revealed she told a therapist during couple's therapy with her husband about the allegations in 2012. The Washington Post reviewed the notes taken by the therapist, and reported that Kavanaugh wasn't mentioned by name, but instead described as a "highly respected and high-ranking members of society in Washington."

Here are key points to know about Ford's allegations against Kavanaugh:

• In new statement released Monday, Kavanaugh called Ford's allegation "completely false," and added that he was willing to appear again before the Senate Judiciary Committee to "refute" the claims made against him. "I have never done anything like what the accuser describes — to her or to anyone," Kavanaugh said.

• Mark Judge, the other man in the room in Ford's allegation, told the Weekly Standard he had "no recollection" of the alleged incident.

• It was Ford who told Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D, Calif.) to keep her allegations and the contents of her letter private, according to Debra Katz, Ford's attorney. It was only after leaked details were first reported by The Intercept that Ford decided to publicly come forward.

• Three Republican senators — Jeff Flake of Arizona, Bob Corker of Tennessee and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — say the Senate Judiciary Committee should consider delaying a vote on Kavanaugh's nomination until hearing from Ford. All 10 Democrats on the committee – including Cory Booker of New Jersey and Chris Coons of Delaware – have called on chairman Chuck Grassley to postpone Thursday's vote.

While answering questions Monday afternoon in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Trump was slightly angered when a reporter asked if Kavanaugh had offered to withdraw his nomination.

"What a ridiculous question," Trump scoffed.

Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine) is now calling for both Kavanaugh and Ford to testify under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee, an apparent rebuke to Grassley's attempt to limit the scope of questioning to seperate phone calls prior to Thursday's scheduled committee vote.

Despite the call from Collins to hear both individuals testify before the committee, Grassley issued a statement Monday saying he still intends to conduct seperate follow-up phone calls with Kavanaugh and Ford.

"The standard procedure for updates to any nominee's background investigation file is to conduct separate follow-up calls with relevant parties," Grassley said. "Consistent with that practice, I asked Senator Feinstein's office yesterday to join me in scheduling these follow-ups. Thus far, they have refused."

Collins, along with Murkowski, are considered the most likely Republican senators to vote against Kavanaugh's nomination. If they both end up supporting Kavanaugh, Democrats don't have enough votes to prevent him from ending up on the Supreme Court.

CNN is reporting that Kavanaugh is currently at the White House meeting with its legal team to prepare for potential questions about Ford's accusations from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Kavanaugh has also reportedly hired Beth Wilkinson, of the law firm Wilkinson Walsh and Eskovitz, to be his attorney. Wilkinson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

During an appearance on NBC's Today show Monday, Debra Katz, Ford's attorney, said her client believed Kavanaugh's alleged actions constituted attempted rape, and that only his "severe intoxication" allowed her to escape.

"Does she consider this an attempted rape?" Today host Savannah Guthrie asked Katz.

"She does," Katz replied. "She clearly considers this an attempted rape. She believes that if it were not for the severe intoxication of Brett Kavanaugh, she would've been raped."

Katz also told Guthrie that Ford was willing to testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee and face what would likely be difficult questions under oath.

"She is. She's willing to do whatever it takes to get her story forth," Katz said.

During an interview on Fox News Monday morning, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Ford deserved the opportunity to have her allegations heard and considered.

"This woman should not be insulted and should not be ignored," Conway told the hosts of Fox & Friends, adding that she spoke to President Trump and several senators, and said Ford "will be heard."

Donald Trump Jr., the oldest son of President Trump, mocked Ford's allegations of sexual assault on Instagram on Sunday.

"Oh boy… the Dems and their usual nonsense games really have him on the ropes now," Trump Jr. wrote, misspelling Feinstein's name in the Instagram post.

Among those to comment on Trump Jr.'s Instagram post was Lynne Patton, a senior official at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. On Twitter, Patton said her response to the meme — emojis of laughter and applause — was not an attempt to "diminish sexual assault."

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, now a political analyst for ABC News, said Ford's allegation of sexual assault was "extraordinarily unfair" to Kavanaugh.

"This is an allegation that is 35-plus years old, and now you're going to attempt to try to deal with that in a very truncated period of time," Christie told George Stephanopoulos on ABC's Good Morning America Monday. This is why people are reluctant to get in front of those committees, George, and sit down for Senate confirmation, because of this kind of bloodletting."