Trump-ism has spread from the executive branch to the GOP and now threatens the legitimacy of the Supreme Court.
Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination has been delayed pending an FBI investigation into sexual accusations made against him by three women. The GOP should not confirm him until these accusations against him have been resolved.
This Trump-style phenomenon of discrediting opposition is detrimental to the legitimacy of our government. With Kavanaugh being accused by three women of sexual assault, the GOP should not confirm him until these accusations against him have been resolved.
On Sept. 27, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified against Kavanaugh. Ford requested a FBI investigation into these accusations and flew out to Capitol Hill to testify in front of congress. If there is any doubt of Ford’s credibility as an accuser, then there should be no issue with an FBI investigation into Kavanaugh’s alleged sexual assault against Ford.
The unwillingness of the GOP to support an FBI investigation is disruptive and corrosive to our democracy.The GOP is rolling out the Trump-style attacks on Ford’s credibility.
After watching Ford’s testimony, there is without a doubt, that this sexual assault happened. Ford’s powerful emotional testimony was convincing and only cemented by Kavanaugh’s reactionary testimony shortly after.
Despite this emotional testimony where Ford gave descriptive details of the events of the sexual assault, the GOP rolled out attacks against her credibility as a democratic activist.
Ford’s bravery is an extension of the #Metoo movement and has now inspired the #whyididntreport movement.
Trump himself stands accused by multiple women of sexual assault, one of many reasons he is an illegitimate president that continues to undermine our democracy. Trump has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault, his election is under investigation by Robert Mueller, and he is now undermining the very FBI investigation into Kavanaugh’s accuser by limiting the FBI’s scope of investigation, according to the Washington Post.
The Supreme Court has the power to set and interpret laws and set precedent for existing laws. Depending on how these nine Supreme Court justices align themselves politically and philosophically can determine how they will rule on cases that they choose to review.
Imagine an issue like sexual assault making its way to the Supreme Court. With Kavanaugh on the bench, these issues are less likely to reach the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh being appointed to the Supreme Court for life would undermine the authority of the law. Kavanaugh may look at something like a Brock Turner case and take into account his Stanford swimming career similarly to the way Judge Aaron Perskin ruled.
During the hearing Kavanaugh continuously brought up his education at Yale Law School. As if the life of a privileged man at a prestigious ivy league university somehow exempts him from the law’s reach. Kavanaugh criticized the sexual assault accusations stating that “the mere assertion of an allegation. A refuted allegation from 36 years ago is enough to destroy a person’s life and career,”said Kavanaugh. “We will have abandoned the basic principles of due process that define our legal system and our country.”
Sure it could be argued that the statutes of limitations on this sexual assault have been reached, but that didn’t stop an investigation into Bill Cosby. Cosby was sentenced 3-10 years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand 14 years ago.
Kavanaugh does have a point. We should not let an accusation ruin the life and career of an accused. That is why someone who claims to have such grand moral standing like Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump and the rest of the GOP should be calling for an unrestricted FBI investigation into the allegations and delay the vote.
As of now, Trump has issued an FBI investigation into the first two accusers, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez. Trump made comments stating that the FBI should not look into the third accuser, Julie Swetnick. The fact that Trump had tried to place restrictions on an FBI investigation into sexual assaults is appalling.
Kavanaugh stated that we should judge him by the same standard that we would want applied to our fathers, husbands, brothers, or sons. If any family member, man or woman, committed or were accused of the same heinous crime of sexual assault, I would expect nothing less than a thorough investigation. At the same time, these accusers should be treated with the same standard that would be applied to our mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters – or really any human being.
This is where the legitimacy of the Supreme Court and our democracy is threatened. The unwillingness of President Trump and the GOP to have an honest and unrestricted investigation into the sexual assaults especially after an emotional testimony by Dr. Ford speaks to the morally bankrupt GOP and President Trump. This failure to call for a proper investigation of an alleged sexual assault by a Supreme Court nominee makes them complicit in not only a cover up of sexual assault but the continued erosion of the United States. Kavanaugh’s confirmation is political and its the GOP protecting their lifetime of privilege.
