Feminist author Jessica Valenti has taken a page out the Rep. Maxine Waters playbook, urging rape survivors to ambush and confront Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake “for the rest of his life.”
I hope rape survivors confront Jeff Flake in public for the rest of his life.
— Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) September 28, 2018
Valenti’s charge stemmed from the news, which broke early Friday morning, that Sen. Flake planned to vote yes on the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Flake’s decision was announced only after hearings were held Thursday during which Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Kavanaugh both testified about allegations of sexual assault.
Ford claimed during her testimony that Kavanaugh assaulted her at a small gathering in 1982 — a charge the judge vehemently denied and all named witnesses refuted under penalty of felony.
In spite of that, women have already begun to ambush Sen. Flake regarding his yes vote. CNN caught up to Flake as a group of women surrounded him, preventing him from leaving an elevator and accusing him of telling all women that their voices didn’t matter.
Two of them appeared to claim that Kavanaugh was guilty, referring to him as “someone who assaults women” — and although an unseen reporter asked Flake for comment, no one challenged the women’s claims that Kavanaugh was the attacker.
Women confront Sen. Jeff Flake after he says he’ll vote yes to Kavanuagh: “That’s what you’re telling all women in America, that they don’t matter. They should just keep it to themselves because if they have told the truth you’re just going to help that man to power anyway.” pic.twitter.com/T7fSpyT69E
— CNN (@CNN) September 28, 2018
For months, Republicans have faced just this type of confrontation. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen have all been ambushed at restaurants by protesters or asked to leave by staff.
In addition, Democratic California Rep. Maxine Waters called for more scenes like this, encouraging people to confront any Trump surrogates in gas stations and grocery stores.
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