ABC News political analyst Matthew Dowd said on Sunday that the efforts of congressional Republicans to confirm Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court amid sexual harassment allegations levied against him "empowered" former President Bill Clinton's alleged sexual misconduct.
Dowd, a former Republicans strategist who now identifies as a "proud independent," made the remarks on ABC's "This Week," Newsbusters reported.
"Some things are not about the tribe we're in," Dowd said of sexual misconduct allegations in general during a conversation about Clinton, who some liberals and journalists have criticized in recent weeks amid the ongoing national discussion about sexual harassment.
Dowd cited the confirmation of Thomas to the high court as evidence that Republicans helped "empower" Clinton's sexual behavior in the White House.
"We saw this in '91, the Republicans gave up their values in order to get Justice Thomas on the court," Dowd said. "They basically called Anita Hill a nut and a liar in order to get Justice Thomas on the court."
Anita Hill accused Thomas of sexual harassment in 1991, when the Senate was considering then-President George H.W. Bush's nomination of Thomas to the Supreme Court.
"They empowered Bill Clinton," Dowd added, referring to congressional Republicans. "They decided the ends justified the means. They decided that a tainted person was better to get what they wanted."
Conservative journalists quickly ripped Dowd for his comments.
If you’ve ever wondered what the phrase 'zeal of a convert" means, Matt Dowd’s current behavior is a great example. https://t.co/DXZoxfT9SB
— Brit Hume (@brithume) November 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/BuckSexton/status/932455245787131905
Dowd retweeted praise of himself following his remarks.
To paraphrase @matthewjdowd - whatever "tribe" we belong to shouldn't determine how we view sexual assault. https://t.co/LYKHd5C6s6
— Virginia Cochrane Torbert (@Moonlitechirp) November 19, 2017