During a news conference on Monday, President Trump commended Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh for admitting he had a drinking problem in high school, and questioned whether sexual assaults committed by teenagers should disqualify them from public service 36 years later.

“I watched him, I was surprised how vocal he was about the fact that he likes beer, and he’s had a little bit of difficulty,” Trump said at one point. “He talked about things that happened when he drank, I mean — this is not a man who said he is perfect with respect to alcohol.”

TRUMP: "I was surprised at how vocal [Kavanaugh] was about the fact that he likes beer… [but] there are bad reports on everybody. Look at some of these people asking the questions. Look at Blumenthal." pic.twitter.com/4Zn3qbWciB — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 1, 2018

Later, Trump mentioned people he witnessed drinking to excess and doing “crazy” things while he was in high school, and said: “Does that mean that they can’t do something that they want to do with their lives? It’s a very tough thing.”

Trump dismisses sexual assaults that occur in high school. "I graduated from high school, and while I didn't drink, I saw people drinking. They drink beer, go crazy… Does that mean that they can't do something that they want to do with their lives? It's a very tough thing." pic.twitter.com/MQP0EZgyRc — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 1, 2018

There’s just one problem — Kavanaugh admitted to neither of those things during his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last Thursday. Although he mentioned beer an astounding 29 times during the hearing, Kavanaugh insisted he did not and does not have a drinking problem.


“I liked beer. I still like beer. But I did not drink beer to the point of blacking out, and I never sexually assaulted anyone,” Kavanaugh said. “There is a bright line between drinking beer, which I gladly do, and which I fully embrace, and sexually assaulting someone, which is a violent crime. If every American who drinks beer or every American who drank beer in high school is suddenly presumed guilty of sexual assault, will be an ugly, new place in this country.”

Kavanaugh wants you to know that he drank beers, drinks beer, loved beers, still loves beer, but definitely never drank so many beers that he blacked out from the beers pic.twitter.com/d7he0FF1J3 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 27, 2018

Kavanaugh also unequivocally denied ever having physical contact with the woman who testified that he assaulted her, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. But if Trump believes him, then there’s no reason for him to downplay the significance of Kavanaugh’s alleged high school conduct.

At other points during Monday’s presser, Trump defended Kavanaugh with deflection, going as far as to accuse an unnamed Democratic senator of having a serious drinking problem.


“I watch those senators on the Democrat side and I thought it was a disgrace. Partially because I know them. I know them too well. You know what? They are not angels,” Trump said.

Trump refuses to disclose who specifically he was talking about when he accused a Democratic senator of having a serious drinking problem minutes earlier. pic.twitter.com/UbxhLGwQCQ — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 1, 2018

But asked later to name names, Trump refused to.