Prez mocks judge’s accuser

US President Donald Trump has mocked a woman who accused his nominee for the Supreme Court of sexually assaulting her.

At a political rally in Mississippi on Tuesday, he made fun of Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony during which she had failed to recall the specifics of the alleged incident, and defended the accused judge Brett Kavanaugh as a “man whose life lies in tatters”.

Trump completely cast aside the restraint he had exercised in this case in recent days so as to not drive away Republican senators whose vote could doom the confirmation of Kavanaugh, who has angrily and emotionally denied the allegations.

“How did you get home? I don’t remember. How’d you get there? I don’t remember. Where is the place? I don’t remember. How many years ago was it? I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. What neighbourhood was it in? I don’t know. Where’s the house? I don’t know. Upstairs, downstairs, where was it? I don’t know,” Trump said, mocking Ford. “But I had one beer. That’s the only thing I remember.”

“And a man’s life is in tatters. A man’s life is shattered. His wife is shattered.”

Under pressure from his own party’s senators, Trump has ordered the FBI to investigate the allegation by Ford and by another woman, Deborah Ramirez. Ford has accused the nominee of assaulting her when they were in high school. Ramirez has accused him of sexual misconduct when they were at Yale.

Republican leaders appear determined to push the confirmation through, and have vowed to hold a vote this week. But the FBI probe could change things. Republican senator Jeff Flake, who forced the probe, has said so and took exception to the president’s mocking of the accuser. “It’s kind of appalling,” he said on Wednesday.

Flake and two women Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski hold the key to Kavanaugh’t confirmation in a chamber where the GOP holds a razor-thin 51-49 majority.