Leave It to the Senate

Friday’s big news on the Brett Kavanaugh nomination should have centered on the negotiations over possible testimony by his 11th-hour accuser. But President Trump just had to weigh in, hamhandedly.

Christine Blasey Ford’s lawyer listed a number of conditions, some of them pretty unusual — such as that Kavanaugh testify about her allegation before she does and that only senators, not staff, be allowed to pose questions. Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley declined those terms, while OK’ing her request that Kavanaugh not be in the room while she speaks.

All important developments, with Grassley doing a fine job of handling a delicate situation with calm, reasonable grace.

But the president ate the news cycle with a series of (as usual) tweets, notably claim- ing, “If the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!”

No, sir. Women have lots of reasons to keep an assault to themselves. The Senate should carefully weigh Ford’s allegations — and Kavanaugh’s denials — but Ford’s decision not to tell authorities when she was 15 is not an important factor here.

An “appalled” Sen. Susan Collins (RMaine and a crucial swing vote on the nominee) called the president’s tweet “completely inappropriate and wrong.”

You had it right the first time, Mr. President: Leave it to the Senate to handle the nomination. Remember that sometimes silence can help your cause more than words.