Orlando Sentinel
ORLANDO, Fla. — President Donald Trump defended Brett Kavanaugh during his speech to the International Association of Chiefs of Police on Monday in Orlando, calling the controversial new justice “flawless” and the Senate hearing over sexual assault charges “a disgraceful situation brought by people who were evil.”
Trump also told the hundreds of chiefs from across the country, including Democrat John Mina, the Orlando police chief, that “Democrats fight us at every single turn, whether law enforcement or military.”
“My administration will always cherish, honor and support the men and women in blue,” the president said. “We are taking back our streets.”
The president did not reveal what he talked about with embattled Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who had been rumored to be close to being fired last month.
“We flew down together,” Trump said, “and the press wants to know, ‘What did you talk about?’ We had a very good talk, I will say. That became a very big story actually. But we had a good talk.”
Trump, making his first trip to Central Florida since March 2017, was praised by Gov. Rick Scott for his handling of Hurricane Irma in 2017. Scott said the federal government would help the state deal with Michael, the newest storm churning in the Gulf of Mexico that’s forecast to hit the Panhandle.
“Everything I asked for, President Trump came through,” said Scott, who met the president’s Air Force One at Orlando International Airport. “He’s promising all the resources of the federal government to take care of us.”
Trump said of the storm, “It looks like a big one, can you believe it? It looks like a very big one. We’ve handled them very well … It never ends.”
With Sadia Baxter, the wife of fallen Kissimmee Officer Matthew Baxter, in the audience, Trump expressed “eternal gratitude for what you do every day. … What you do is keep America safe and nobody does it better than you.”
Matthew Baxter, 27, was killed while on patrol in August 2017.
Trump personally introduced several officers who had been recognized by the police chiefs’ group, including one who saved lives at the scene of a school shooting in Illinois and another who faced a gunman in a Trump hotel in Doral.
“In each of these stories, we see unmatched strength character and courage of our heroes in blue,” Trump said.
The applause by the police chiefs for Kavanaugh was among the loudest and most sustained of the speech, with Trump letting the crowd know he would “tell him about this spontaneous applause before I could even finish.” Trump was set to ceremonially swear in Kavanaugh on Monday after he flew back to Washington.
Outside the convention center, a group of about 15 protesters —five pro-President Donald Trump and 10 anti-Trump — gathered at opposing street corners waiting for the president to arrive. They held signs — ”Thank God for President Trump” on one side; “Grab him by the ballot,” on the other — and cheered when passing cars honked in support.
Neila Wilson, a Women’s March Central Florida chapter captain, said she was “disappointed and disgusted” with the confirmation of Kavanaugh after the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were in high school.
Wilson wanted to send a message to the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference, she said.
“We need the message to be clear to the men taking an oath to serve and protect to remember that we are wives and sisters and daughters and that we need them to stand up for us, too,” Wilson said. “When Dr. Ford is silenced and mocked and bullied, it’s as if each of us, with each of our stories, is being mocked and bullied. Boys being boys is no longer tolerated.”
But Bob Kunst, who sat along International Drive for four hours waiting for Trump, defended the president. Kunst, an openly gay man, pointed to Trump’s appointment of Rick Grenell, who is also openly gay, as ambassador to Germany, saying it’s a testament to the president’s openness.
“It doesn’t matter to (Trump) who you are,” said Kunst, holding a “Gays for Trump” sign. “Some people don’t get that, which is why I’m out here.”
An earlier protest featured a handful of demonstrators and Democratic state senators and representatives.
Cheyenne Drew, 22, was wearing a long red dress like a Handmaid, the character from Margaret Atwood’s 1985 book “Handmaid’s Tale” that symbolizes female oppression. Drews said she was discouraged by Kavanaugh’s confirmation, saying it was about “rewarding men with power.”
“I’m making sure we are still visible and vocal in a political climate that wants to silence us,” she said, holding a sign with the word “resist.”
