Sanders says Democrats were ‘absolutely disgraceful’ and ‘exploited’ Kavanaugh, Ford
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Democrats owe an apology to both Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the "awful" Senate hearing they endured Thursday.
When asked on "Good Morning America" Friday whether she believed Ford's testimony, in which the Californa professor alleged Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school, Sanders was empathetic.
"Look, I think Dr. Ford's testimony, like most Americans, was very compelling but it also lacked any evidence," Sanders said, adding that Ford's claims "didn't have any corroboration."
"I believe something bad happened to this woman and I think it is absolutely horrific," she said.
Sanders, like many Republicans, then cast blame on the Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, saying they "used and exploited this process."
"The way that they exploited Dr. Ford for their own political purposes yesterday is absolutely disgraceful," she said.
"I think the Democrats are part of a search-and-destroy mission," Sanders said.
"They could have spared both of the individuals' families.”
"I think it was awful what Dr. Ford had to go through yesterday and equally awful what Judge Kavanaugh" had to go through, she said.
The hearings spanned nine hours Thursday, and the committee is slated to hold a vote on Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation Friday morning.
Many Democrats on the committee called for the FBI to launch an investigation into the allegations, which Ford says involves an incident when Kavanaugh allegedly assaulted her in the summer of 1982 but, like many of the Republicans on the committee, Sanders said such an investigation is unnecessary because "he's been through six separate background investigations."
"These allegations took place long before any of those background checks would have taken place," Sanders said.
When asked by ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos whether she thinks Republicans have enough votes to confirm Kavanaugh, Sanders seemed optimistic.
"I certainly hope so and I certainly think so," she said.
"We have to move forward in this process ... the Senate needs to come together.”
