US president under fire for mocking Ford testimony

Two Republicans who could be pivotal in deciding whether the US Senate confirms Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, yesterday criticised President Donald Trump for mocking a woman who accused the judge of sexual assault.

Senators Jeff Flake and Susan Collins were among the politicians who took issue with comments Mr Trump made regarding Christine Blasey Ford, a university professor from California who detailed her sexual assault allegation against Mr Kavanaugh at an extraordinary Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last week.

At a political rally in Mississippi on Tuesday night, Mr Trump mocked Ms Ford’s testimony about the alleged assault in Maryland in 1982.

“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. But I had one beer. That’s the only thing I remember,” Mr Trump, who was himself accused during the 2016 presidential race of sexual misconduct with numerous women, said in his imitation of Ms Ford’s testimony.

Appearing on NBC’s Today show, Mr Flake said that “there’s no time and no place for remarks like that, that discuss something this sensitive at a political rally”.

Ms Collins said: “The president’s comments were just plain wrong.”

She did not respond when asked if his comments would affect her vote on Mr Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

So far, no Republican has said he or she would vote against Mr Kavanaugh.

Mr Flake was instrumental in initiating an FBI investigation into the allegations against Mr Kavanaugh, a conservative federal appeals court judge, nominated by Mr Trump for the top US court.

Mr Kavanaugh has denied Ms Ford’s accusation as well as allegations by two other women.