Hillary Clinton speaks on Kavanaugh, Ford
Hillary Clinton rejects Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh's claim that sexual misconduct allegations were done 'on behalf of the Clintons,' calling it laughable.
Hillary Clinton couldn’t help but laugh when asked Tuesday about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s remarks last week, when he suggested that his embattled confirmation process had, among other things, turned into “revenge on the behalf of the Clintons.”
“I thought it was just part of the whole of his very defensive and … unconvincing presentation,” Clinton said. “And I told someone later: ‘Boy, I’ll tell you, they give us a lot of credit. Thirty-six years ago we started this against him.'”
Clinton’s reaction came during an interview at The Atlantic Festival in Washington, D.C.. She said Kavanaugh’s remark "deserves a lot of laughter.”
Kavanaugh, who has been accused by three women of sexual misconduct, made the comments during his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. The committee also heard from his first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford.
“This whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit, fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election, fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record, revenge on behalf of the Clintons and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups,” Kavanaugh said at the time.
While her husband, Bill Clinton, was president during the 1990s, Kavanaugh worked on the investigation that ultimately led to impeachment. Kavanaugh co-wrote independent counsel Kenneth Starr’s report and laid out the legal framework supporting Clinton’s impeachment for his affair with then-White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
STATE OF PLAY ON KAVANAUGH CONFIRMATION: MCCONNELL PREPARING TO HOLD VOTES
The former president could have been impeached for misleading the public and lying to staff members, Kavanaugh argued at the time, according to The New York Times. However, he later wrote that he thought presidents shouldn't have to deal with criminal investigations or civil lawsuits while in office.
Following her remarks Tuesday, Clinton added that Kavanaugh’s testimony could present some potential issues.
“I want the FBI to conduct as thorough an investigation as they possibly can within whatever restraints are imposed upon them,” Clinton said. “But I think, for anyone who believes there’s such a thing as a judicial temperament and that we want judges, particularly those on our highest court, to approach issues, approach plaintiffs and defendants with a sense of fairness, that there’s a lot to be concerned about.”
Fox News’ Nicole Darrah, Kaitlyn Schallhorn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.