Trump claims Democrat Senator wants to ‘obstruct’ Kavanaugh confirmation amid sexual assault allegations

'The radical left lawyers want the FBI to get involved NOW,' the president says

Donald Trump has accused Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein of attempting to “obstruct” Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation process by providing the FBI with a letter accusing the Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault.

The US president accused Ms Feinstein and “the Democrats” of holding on to the letter for months, “only to release it with a bang after the hearings were OVER…” he wrote on Twitter.

He added that the purpose was to “obstruct”, resist and delay Mr Kavanaugh’s confirmation process.

Dr Christine Blasey Ford sent a letter to Ms Feinstein in late July alleging Mr Kavanaugh had forced himself on her while they were both at a high school party in the 1980s.

Mr Kavanaugh has “categorically and unequivocally” denied the allegations.

Ms Feinstein has said that she kept the letter private out of respect for Ms Ford, a California professor, who had requested it remain confidential. She provided the letter to the FBI recently after a news report on the information surfaced.

Ms Ford’s attorneys have been in negotiations with the Senate Judiciary Committee on the conditions under which she would potentially testify before Congress about her accusations.

Her attorneys have continued to emphasise Ms Ford’s preference that the FBI conduct an investigation prior to her testimony. They have also stressed the importance of ensuring Ms Ford’s safety as they have said she has received death threats since going public.

Regarding questions on whether Ms Ford will testify, Mr Trump added on Twitter: “Let her testify, or not, and Take the vote!”

Mr Trump called Ms Ford’s accusations into question in another tweet published early Friday morning. He criticised the professor for not coming forward years ago.

“The radical left lawyers want the FBI to get involved NOW,” he wrote. “Why didn’t someone call the FBI 36 years ago?”

Many on social media lambasted the president for his apparent lack of awareness of statistics that show many sexual assault cases are not reported to the police – and that perpetrators of sexual assault are not likely to be charged when they are reported.

“You are completely ignorant about the effects of sexual abuse,” one Twitter user wrote. “When I first started working in child protective services 37 years ago, most people did not acknowledge the existence of sexual abuse; thus the victims told no one.”