Feinstein Statement on ‘Appalling’ Republican Attacks on Sexual Assault Survivors

Washington—Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement:

“The president’s attacks on Dr. Blasey Ford last night were appalling. He sent a clear message to victims of sexual assault that they should not be believed. President Trump’s attacks are even more cruel when you consider that Dr. Blasey Ford specifically recalled the pain of Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge laughing at her.

“Dr. Blasey Ford’s life has been turned upside down. She’s been subject to death threats, forced to flee her home and employ private security, portrayed as a Democratic pawn, separated from her children, her identity stolen. She deserves better.

“President Trump is not alone. Senate Republicans have also engaged in a smear campaign, calling Dr. Ford ‘mixed up’ and saying she has a ‘problem.’ Republican attorney Rachel Mitchell penned a nine-page memo seeking to discredit Dr. Ford, a document that has been universally criticized.

“Now, in the midst of an FBI investigation, Republicans are interviewing former boyfriends of both Dr. Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez in a transparent attempt to discredit them. Rape shield laws and the federal rules of evidence are designed precisely to stop this sort of attack. The Judiciary Committee in 1994 expressly prohibited these abuses in the Violence Against Women Act.

“The terrible treatment of Dr. Blasey Ford and Ms. Ramirez tells every woman in this country to keep sexual assault to themselves. We must send a different message, a message of support.”

###