(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) 
 
 Utah Sen. Orrin G. Hatch said Thursday that Christine Blasey Ford is “attractive” and “pleasing,” but stopped short of saying definitively whether he found her credible, outside the room where Ford was testifying about her alleged assault by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The Utah Republican, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee which is hearing Ford’s testimony, told CNN it was “too early to say” if Ford is credible, but also added, “I don’t think she’s uncredible. I think she an attractive, good witness.” 
 
 When pressed by CNN reporter Shimon Prokupecz on what he meant by “attractive,” Hatch responded: “In other words, she’s pleasing.” 
 
 Senator Orrin Hatch said “it’s too early to say” if Ford is credible. I think she an attractive, good witness,” he said. Matt Whitlock, a spokesman for Hatch, defended the use of the term "attractive" in a series of tweets after the remarks were made public.
– Orrin Hatch is taking grief for his choice of words in describing the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford on Thursday. During the lunch break, the Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee referred to Ford as an "attractive" and "pleasing" witness, reports Roll Call. "I don't think she's uncredible," Hatch told reporters. "I think she's an attractive, good witness." When CNN pressed him on what he meant by "attractive," Hatch responded, "In other words, she's pleasing." The remarks have prompted criticism, and USA Today rounds up examples, including one tweet that pretty much summarizes the negative sentiment: "I can’t believe it seemed appropriate to Orrin Hatch to comment on the attractiveness of a woman testifying about her sexual assault." But Hatch's spokesperson has an explanation: “Hatch uses ‘attractive’ to describe personalities, not appearances,” he said. “If you search his past quotes you’ll see he’s used it consistently for years for men and women he believed has compelling personalities.”