President Donald Trump’s team plans to attack the credibility of professor Christine Blasey Ford, who came forward with her account of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s alleged sexual assault on Sunday, by emphasizing that the accusation has surfaced at the end of the confirmation process and that Ford didn’t tell anyone about the alleged attack at the time, according to a Sunday Bloomberg report.
Ford brought her accusation to Democratic lawmakers back in July when Kavanaugh was first nominated, but ultimately decided to come forward publicly when details started to leak last week after Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) turned her letter over to the FBI.
In a Sunday interview with the Washington Post, Ford accuses Kavanaugh of groping her and trying to rip off her clothing, covering her mouth when she tried to scream during a party when they were both in high school. She reportedly managed to escape when Kavanaugh’s friend jumped on top of both of them.
The White House also reportedly wants to steer clear of a public hearing for the allegations, preferring a private inquiry to avoid a platform that could foster sympathy for Ford.
Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley has already laid the foundation for the White House’s plan, saying through his spokeswoman in a statement that is is “disturbing that these uncorroborated allegations” have come to light just before the planned committee vote on Thursday.
The allegation is corroborated, both with detailed notes from Ford’s therapy session years ago and with a passed polygraph test administered by the FBI.