Trump apologises to Kavanaugh
President asserts the new Supreme Court member was ‘proven innocent’
President Trump injected a sharp political edge to Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s ceremonial swearing-in on Monday, undermining the new Supreme Court member’s attempts to assert his independence from the bitter partisanship that marred his confirmation process.
At a White House ceremony in the gilded East Room packed with conservative activists, legal officials and White House aides, Trump apologised “on behalf of our nation” to Kavanaugh and his family “for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure.”
“Those who step forward to serve our country deserve a fair and dignified evaluation, not a campaign of political and personal destruction based on lies and deception,” Trump said.
“You, sir, under historic scrutiny, were proven innocent,” Trump added, reading from teleprompters.
There was no formal judgement rendered by the FBI after it investigated allegations against Kavanaugh of sexual assault and misconduct during his time as a high school and college student. Trump made no mention of the accusers or the larger wounds that the ■ nomination fight exposed.
The remarks were delivered in front of the eight other justices, who normally take great pains to distance themselves from overt signs of politics, as well as a large crowd of supporters, including one woman wearing a black “Women for Kavanaugh” T-shirt.
Justices typically try to assert independence immediately upon taking the bench. Kavanaugh, however, thanked Trump for his “steadfast and unwavering support.” He also thanked several Republican senators, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine, who cast what was considered the deciding vote in his favour. He also thanked the only Democrat who voted for him, Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia. He did not mention any other Democratic senators.
Criticism
Kavanaugh has drawn criticism from legal experts for the partisan tone he adopted in defending himself during the confirmation process. At the hearing at which senators heard testimony about the sexual misconduct allegations, he called the charges a “calculated and orchestrated political hit,” blaming Democrats and Bill and Hillary Clinton.
But Kavanaugh also promised to put the bitter confirmation process behind him, declaring himself a “team player on the team of nine” justices.