Cornyn is woke: No. 2 Senate Republican sharply questions credibility of Kavanaugh accuser

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The No. 2 Republican in the Senate on Tuesday sharply questioned the credibility of the woman who has accused Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, as GOP leaders indicated they will limit witnesses at next week’s hearing to just the Supreme Court nominee and his accuser.

Speaking to reporters, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) said he was concerned by “gaps” in the account of Christine Blasey Ford, a psychology professor in California, who told The Washington Post in an interview published Sunday that Kavanaugh drunkenly pinned her to a bed on her back, groped her and put his hand over her mouth at a house party in the early 1980s when the two were in high school.

“The problem is, Dr. Ford can’t remember when it was, where it was, or how it came to be,” Cornyn told reporters at the Capitol late Tuesday morning.

When asked whether he was questioning the accuser’s account — which Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied — Cornyn said, “There are some gaps there that need to be filled.”

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What about other witnesses like Kavanaugh’s friend Mark Judge?” Feinstein said in a statement. “What about individuals who were previously told about this incident? What about experts who can speak to the effects of this kind of trauma on a victim? This is another attempt by Republicans to rush this nomination and not fully vet Judge Kavanaugh.”

Speaking to reporters later, Grassley defended his plan.

“We’ve had two people that want to tell their story and that’s what we’re gonna do,” he said.

Pressed about the precedent of the Hill hearing, Grassley said: “You’re talking about history. We’re not looking back. We’re looking forward.”

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During a morning radio interview, Grassley said that Kavanaugh has agreed to participate in Monday’s hearing — and had been interviewed by committee staff on Monday night — but that his staff has not yet heard from Ford.

“It kind of raises the question: Do they want to come to the public hearing or not?” Grassley told syndicated radio host Hugh Hewitt. “We still haven’t heard from Dr. Ford, so do they want to have the hearing or not?”

During a television appearance on Monday, Debra Katz, an attorney for Ford, said her client is “willing to do whatever it takes to get her story forth,” including testifying publicly before the Senate. Katz declined to comment to The Post on Tuesday.

Grassley suggested that the hearing could be called off if Ford declines to appear.

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