Written by Madeleine Carlisle (@maddiecarlisle2) and Olivia Paschal (@oliviacpaschal)
Today in 5 Lines
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In a rare press conference, President Trump refused to say whether he believes Brett Kavanaugh’s accusers are lying, but called allegations against the Supreme Court nominee part of a “con job.” Asked whether he would ask Kavanaugh to withdraw his nomination, Trump said, “If I thought he was guilty of something like this, yeah, sure.”
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A third woman, Julie Swetnick, accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. Kavanaugh denied the allegations in a statement.
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During his address before the Security Council, Trump accused China of election interference, cited progress on North Korea, and criticized Iran.
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Trump said he will sign a spending bill to avert a looming government shutdown. The House passed the legislation on Wednesday and will send it to the president's desk for his signature.
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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that he will return to North Korea next month to prepare for a second summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un.
Today on The Atlantic
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Opening Statements: The Senate Judiciary Committee released Brett Kavanaugh’s and Christine Blasey Ford’s prepared testimonies ahead of Thursday’s hearing. Read them here and here.
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The Conservative Response: The conservative legal movement has shown no signs of backing down from their support of Brett Kavanaugh. Outside the beltway, conservative activists aren’t so sure. (Emma Green)
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This Is Far From Over: Even if the Senate confirms Brett Kavanaugh, the battle over his nomination “is virtually guaranteed to continue,” writes Ronald Brownstein.
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The Compliment Doctrine: When South Korean President Moon Jae In pressured the United States to join negotiations with North Korea, he used a unique tactic: complimenting Trump. (Uri Friedman)
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The Women Who Still Back Kavanaugh: Polls show that conservative women still support Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination, even as they express sympathy for survivors of assault. (Dick Polman)
