Willie Geist: “If You Thought He Was Partisan In His Testimony Which A Lot Did When He Talked About A Clinton Conspiracy, That Wasn’t Helped By Yesterday’s Event Whatsoever. He Looked Even More Partisan.” SCARBOROUGH: “Wasn’t it Brett Kavanaugh himself that was going down the list, thanking Republican senators, not mentioning anybody else, making it clear that his political allegiance were on one side of the aisle.” GEIST: “If you thought he was partisan in his testimony which a lot did when he talked about a Clinton conspiracy, that wasn’t helped by yesterday’s event whatsoever. He looked even more partisan” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 10/9/18; VIDEO]
Kristen Welker: “President Trump Was Anything But Unifying. He Further Stoked The Partisan Battle In His Remarks.” WELKER: “Brett Kavanaugh vowed to be a justice for all Americans after that fierce confirmation fight. But president trump was anything but unifying. He further stoked the partisan battle in his remarks. For the president, it was all aimed at energizing Republicans with four weeks until election day.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 10/9/18; VIDEO]
Joe Scarborough: “It Was A President Who Once Again Had An Opportunity […] Instead It Ended Up Being A Political Pep Rally.” SCARBOROUGH: “It was a president who once again had an opportunity, not to be the great uniter, not to be Abraham Lincoln after the civil war talking about with malice toward none, but to do a small thing or two, send an olive branch, but he had all the members of the Supreme Court there, including the liberal members of the supreme court, and instead it ended up being a political pep rally.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 10/9/18; VIDEO]
Jeremy Peters: “Last Night’s Remarks By Trump That Kavanaugh Was Proven Innocent, As He Said, Just A Classic Example Of The President Trying To Rewrite History.” PETERS: “I think, Mika, last night’s remarks by trump that Kavanaugh was proven innocent, as he said, just a classic example of the President trying to rewrite history on his own, more favorable terms.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 10/9/18; VIDEO]
Jeremy Peters: “He Opened His Mouth, He Opened It Twice, When He Started Attacking Christine Blasey Ford, When He Said Yesterday That This Is All A Hoax And A Fraud And Made Up Language We’ve Heard All Sorts Of Times Before About Allegations Leveled At Trump Himself, And That Feeds The Sense More Broadly That The Republican Party Is Being Dismissive And Disparaging Of Women.” PETERS: “This was a debate about gender and equality and the treatment of women and believing survivors of sexual assault that was unfolding with trump kind of largely as a side character. Then he opened his mouth, he opened it twice, when he started attacking Christine blasey Ford, when he said yesterday that this is all a hoax and a fraud and made up language we’ve heard all sorts of times before about allegations leveled at trump himself, and that feeds the sense more broadly that the Republican party is being dismissive and disparaging of women like those who came forward, like Dr. Ford.” [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 10/9/18; VIDEO]
John Berman: “President Trump Apologized To Kavanaugh And Claimed Kavanaugh Had Been Found Innocent Of The Allegations Of Sexual Assault. There Were No Such Findings One Way Or The Other.” JOHN BERMAN: “Justice Brett Kavanaugh will sit on the bench for the first time this morning. Overnight he took part in a swearing in ceremony that felt one-part swearing in and many parts political. President Trump apologized to Kavanaugh and claimed Kavanaugh had been found innocent of the allegations of sexual assault. There were no such findings one way or the other.” [New Day, CNN, 10/9/18; Video]
John Berman: “The President Intends To Use The Kavanaugh Confirmation As A Political Weapon Heading Into The Midterms, He Is Stoking These Flames On Purpose.” JOHN BERMAN: “Earlier, the president called the allegation into Kavanaugh a hoax. This is obviously a radical departure from the moments after the hearing, where the president said that Professor Christine Blasey Ford was credible. It just shows how the president intends to use the Kavanaugh confirmation as a political weapon heading into the midterms, he is stoking these flames on purpose.” [New Day, CNN, 10/9/18; Video]
John Berman: “The President Intentionally Fanning The Flames Of Controversy Using The Bruising Confirmation Battle As A Political Wedge Before The Midterms Calling The Allegations Against Kavanaugh A Hoax.”JOHN BERMAN: “Justice Brett Kavanaugh heads to the Supreme Court in a few hours for his first day on the job. And he does so with the president intentionally fanning the flames of controversy using the bruising confirmation battle as a political wedge before the midterms calling the allegations against Kavanaugh a hoax.” [New Day, CNN, 10/9/18;Video]
Jan Crawford: “A Last-Minute FBI Inquiry Approved By The White House And Republicans On The Senate Judiciary Committee Did Not Conclude Kavanaugh’s Innocence Or Guilt.” JAN CRAWFORD: “Before watching his second Supreme Court justice being sworn in, president trump claimed the confirmation process proved Kavanaugh was innocent of the allegations. A last-minute FBI inquiry approved by the white house and Republicans on the senate judiciary committee did not conclude Kavanaugh’s innocence or guilt.” [CBS This Morning, CBS, 10/9/18; Video]
Jeffery Toobin: “This Remarkable National Apology To Brett Kavanaugh Was Really Something Deeply Astonishing. And The Claim That He Was Found Innocent By The Senate Was So Preposterously Untrue. But It’s In Keeping With How Donald Trump Has Run His Presidency.” JEFFERY TOOBIN: “I mean, this remarkable national apology to Brett Kavanaugh was really something deeply astonishing. And the claim that he was found innocent by the senate was so preposterously untrue. But it’s in keeping with how Donald Trump has run his presidency and his life.” [New Day, CNN, 10/9/18; Video]
Donald Trump: “Doesn’t Believe Women Who Accuse Men Of Sexual Harassment And Assault.” JEFFERY TOOBIN: “’I think when you think about Donald Trump you always have to think about the fable of the scorpion and the frog. He’s, it’s his nature. I mean he doesn’t believe women who accuse men of sexual harassment and assault.’ Alisyn Camerota ‘Or doesn’t want to.’ TOOBIN: ‘Right. He never believes women, it’s Roy Moore or Bill O’Reilly or Roger Ailes or Donald Trump being accused. Yes, it is a measure of political calculation but I think it’s also who he is.’” [New Day, CNN, 10/9/18; Video]