Sep 17, 2018

Trump open to delaying Kavanaugh confirmation in light of allegations

Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Trump said Monday that he is open to the Senate Judiciary Committee delaying Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation process following allegations of sexual assault.

"I want the American people to be happy because they’re getting somebody that is great. I want him to go in at the absolute highest level. And I think to do that you have to go through this. If it takes a little delay it'll take a little delay ... I'm sure it will work out very well."

— President Trump

Why it matters: This is the first time Trump has weighed in on the allegations against his SCOTUS pick. Trump also defended Kavanaugh, and said he wished that the Democrats had brought this up sooner. His comments come as Senate leaders continue to debate how to handle the accusation, given the Judiciary Committee was expected to vote Kavanaugh onto the bench later this week.

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Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

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Why it matters: Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren all must weigh the costs of punching Bloomberg where he looks most vulnerable: stop-and-frisk, charges of sexism, billionaire entitlement. The more zealous the attacks, the greater the risk he turns his campaign ATM against them.

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Coronavirus cases rise as 14 American evacuees infected

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The big picture: COVID-19 has now killed at least 1,770 people and infected almost 70,000 others. Most cases and all but five of the deaths have occurred in mainland China. Taiwan confirmed its first death on Sunday, per multiple reports, in a 61-year-old man with underlying health conditions. Health officials were investigating how he became ill.

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