President Donald Trump touted “a historic night” during a rally in Kansas Saturday that came hours after the Senate confirmed Trump’s second Supreme Court appointment, Brett Kavanaugh.
“I stand before you today on the heels of a tremendous victory for our nation, our people and our beloved Constitution,” Trump told thousands of supporters in Topeka.
He also took indirect aim at the women who have accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault, praising the “incredible Republican senators for refusing to back down in the face of the Democrats’ shameless campaign of political and personal destruction.”
“Since right from the moment we announced, radical Democrats launched a disgraceful campaign to resist, obstruct, delay, demolish and destroy, right from the beginning,” Trump said. “Brett Kavanaugh is a man of great character and intellect.”
Trump is visiting Topeka for a Saturday evening fundraiser and rally for Kris Kobach, the controversial secretary of state running for Kansas governor, and Steve Watkins, the GOP nominee in a key congressional race there.
Aboard Air Force One on the way to Kansas, Trump mocked protesters outside the Supreme Court who opposed the confirmation of Kavanaugh, who faced allegations of sexual assault.
Trump tweeted: “The crowd in front of the U.S. Supreme Court is tiny, looks like about 200 people (& most are onlookers) – that wouldn’t even fill the first couple of rows of our Kansas Rally, or any of our Rallies for that matter! The Fake News Media tries to make it look sooo big, & it’s not!”
Trump told reporters aboard the flight he is certain one of Kavanaugh’s accusers, California professor Christine Blasey Ford, named the wrong person when she identified Kavanaugh as the man who assaulted her when the two were in high school.
“I’m a hundred percent. I’m a 100%. I have no doubt,” he said.
Trump also called Kavanaugh, as well as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan, en route to Kansas, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said.
Kobach, a strident advocate for strict voting laws, is best known for backing Trump’s unproven claims of widespread voter fraud. He led Trump’s commission that investigated voter fraud — ultimately failing to uncover evidence to back the President’s claims.
Watkins is running against Democrat Paul Davis in the 2nd District race. It’s one of two competitive House contests in Kansas — with Democrat Sharice Davids in the Kansas City-based 3rd District hoping to oust GOP Rep. Kevin Yoder, who will not be attending Saturday night’s rally.
