Trump defends Kavanaugh, says he is keeping an 'open mind' to developments

US President Donald Trump has strongly defended his Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who is facing sexual assault allegations, and has ordered a time-bound FBI investigation in the case, saying that has an "open mind" if new information emerges.

The FBI has been asked to complete an investigation against Judge Kavanaugh, who is facing allegations of sexual assault from at least three women. The FBI, which has been asked to complete its investigations within a week, he said is free to talk and interview anyone it deems fit as part of its investigation.

But till then, he does not has a plan B, Trump told reporters in response to a question. "I don't want to talk about Plan B, because I hope that he gets approved. I hope that the report comes out like I really think it should. I think it will. I hope. I hope," he said.

"But look, I'm waiting just like you. Certainly, if they find something, I'm going to take that into consideration. Absolutely. I have a very open mind. The person that takes that position is going to be there for a long time. I have a very open mind. I just think he's an outstanding person," he said.

Trump said Kavanaugh has been treated horribly. "Even if you were going to bring up some of the subjects that were brought up, they didn't have to treat him so viciously and so violently as they've treated him," he said.

The FBI, he said, should do what they have to do to get to the answer. "At the same time, just so we all understand, this is our seventh investigation of a man who has really... ....you look at his life until this happened, what change he's gone through, what his family's gone through," he said.

"The trauma for a man that's never had any accusation, he's never had a bad statement about him. He was number one in his class at Yale, he was number one in his law school at Yale, and then what he's gone through over the last three weeks is incredible," he said.

Trump said he wants FBI to do a very comprehensive investigation, whatever that means according to the senators and the Republicans and the Republican majority. "I want them to do that. I want it to be comprehensive. I actually think it's a good thing for Judge Kavanaugh. I think it's actually a good thing. Not a bad thing, I think it's a good thing," he said.

At the same time, he asserted that he wants this investigation to be over quickly.

"Now with that being said, I'd like it to go quickly. The reason I'd like it to go quickly, very simple. It's so simple. Because it's unfair to him at this point. What his wife is going through, what his beautiful children are going through is not describable. It's not describable. It's not fair," he said.

"I think it's fair to do it to me, I've been going -- from day one, I've been at -- from long before I got to office you've been doing it. It's almost became -- I -- I think for me it's, like, a part of my job description to handle this crap," Trump said. He was apparently referring to the series of sexual allegations against him.

Trump said the charges of sexual assault against Judge Kavanaugh were made 36 years ago. "I mean, a charge made -- was said to have occurred 36 years ago, and nothing happened since then. And look, I feel badly for all parties. I feel badly for everybody. I feel badly for our country. This is so bad for our country," he said.

"I watched those senators on the Democrat side, and I thought it was a disgrace. And partially because I know them. I know them too well. And you know what? They are not angels," Trump said hinting that there were a lot of skeletons against the Democratic senators who are opposing Kavanaugh.