Trump attacks assault survivors as opposition to Kavanaugh grows

Faced with intense public backlash against his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Trump lashed out on Twitter by attacking sexual assault survivors.

He also invoked a conspiracy theory with anti-Semitic overtones to smear protests against a Kavanaugh confirmation.

“The very rude elevator screamers are paid professionals only looking to make Senators look bad,” Trump wrote Friday morning. “Don’t fall for it!”

The comment was a reference to the survivors of sexual assault who confronted Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) in an elevator last week, imploring him not to vote for Kavanaugh.

Maria Archila told Flake as cameras rolled, “I stood in front of your office. I told the story of my sexual assault.” She added, “I told it because I recognized in Dr. Ford’s story that she is telling the truth. What you are doing is allowing someone who actually violated a woman to sit on the Supreme Court. This is not tolerable.”

Maria Gallagher, who stood with Archila, told Flake, “I was sexually assaulted and nobody believed me. I didn’t tell anyone, and you’re telling all women that they don’t matter.”

Those are the women and their stories that Trump has attacked in his tweet.

Responding to Trump’s smear attack, Archila told NBC News, “No one can pay for someone’s lived experiences.”

Later in his tweet, Trump alleged that “identical signs” from protesters were “professionally made” and “paid for by Soros and others.”

The reference was to progressive financier George Soros, who is Jewish, and is often erroneously accused by conservatives of being the puppet master behind progressive activism.

Trump is a known conspiracy theorist who believes all manner of unreal theories about the world. He led the campaign that falsely claimed President Barack Obama was not an American citizen. He regularly dismisses unflattering stories about him as “fake news.”

Trump also has embraced anti-Semitic bigotry on multiple occasions. He called Nazis who marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, “very fine people” and used anti-Semitic imagery during the presidential campaign.

He also often promoted anti-Semites on his Twitter account.

The public does not support Trump’s handpicked Supreme Court pick, particularly after learning of the sexual assault allegations against him. That rejection has riled Trump and prompted his lashing out.

For Trump, that takes the form of smearing sexual assault survivors and amplifying anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. That is how he sees the world and has decided to use the power and prestige of the presidency.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.