7 Reactions to the Kavanaugh Sexual Misconduct Allegations

By Brandon Showalter, Opinion writer and social commentator Monday, September 17, 2018

David French: Allegations "serious but not solid"

Conservative pundit and National Review columnist David French, a frequent Trump critic, said that the allegations against Kavanaugh were "serious but not solid."

In a Sunday article for National Review, French argued that if Ford's claims about what Kavanaugh did were true, they are disqualifying.

David French delivering keynote address at the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission’s 2016 national conference. | Screenshot

"Do not count me among those who would minimize this alleged assault. I went to a high school that had more than its share of drunken parties, and my classmates could do crazy and stupid things, but an act like this was beyond the pale. This isn't 'boys will be boys'," French said.

"Since Kavanaugh has denied the story, however, the question of whether the event is so egregious that it should disqualify him is moot. At the very least, if the attack happened, he should be disqualified for lying."

Yet as it stands, the core evidence in this case is weak, he went on to say, and only time will tell.

"The news cycle is moving so fast that it seems almost absurd to speculate about the state of our knowledge even 24 hours from now, but if this is the core evidence supporting the (very serious) claim against Kavanaugh, it's not sufficient to derail the nomination of a man with an otherwise sterling record of professional excellence and personal integrity," he said.