WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump staunchly defended his embattled Supreme Court nominee against a new allegation of sexual misconduct on Monday, calling the accusations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh “totally political”. The president spoke a day after a second allegation emerged against Kavanaugh, a development that further imperiled his nomination to the Supreme Court, forced the White House and Senate Republicans onto the defensive and fuelled calls from Democrats to postpone further action on his confirmation.

Trump, at the United Nations for his second General Asse­mbly meeting, called the allegations unfair and unsubstantiated, made by accusers who come “out of the woodwork”. On Kavanaugh, Trump stressed: “I am with him all the way.”

The second claim against Kavanaugh dates to the 1983-84 academic year, which was his first at Yale University. Deborah Ramirez described the incident after being contacted by The New Yorker magazine.

In a statement provided by the White House, Kavanaugh said the event “did not happen” and that the allegation was “a smear, plain and simple”.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2018