Brett Kavanaugh hearing: Trump tweets support for nominee as hearing ends after Christine Ford says she is '100%' sure judge assaulted her
Dr Christine Ford tells senate she thought Brett Kavanaugh was 'going to rape and accidentally kill' her as Supreme Court judge says his wife and family have been left 'destroyed' by false allegations
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Christine Ford has told Congress that she believed Brett Kavanaugh was "going to rape her" in dramatic testimony over her sexual assault allegation against Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee.
Dr Ford said she was "100 per cent" sure it was Mr Kavanaugh who assaulted her.
Later, Mr Kavanaugh appeared in front of the same Senate panel, the judiciary committee, and denied the allegations calling the hearing a "circus". He said he believed Dr Ford had been assaulted at some point, but not by him.
Dr Ford said she was "terrified" of testifying, but that she believes it is her "civic duty". Before she began Senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, commended her on coming forward.
The clash pitted her word against his. Members of the Senate, controlled 51-49 by Trump's fellow Republicans, must now decide whether to vote to confirm him after the extraordinary nearly nine-hour-long hearing. Senate Republicans planned to meet on Thursday night to discuss the next steps on the nomination.
“I swear today, under oath, before the Senate and the nation, before my family and God, I am innocent of this charge,” Mr Kavanaugh told the Judiciary Committee later.
Calling himself a victim of “grotesque and obvious character assassination,” Mr Kavanaugh, speaking passionately, said he “unequivocally and categorically” denied Dr Ford's allegation.
“I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process,” Mr Kavanaugh added.
Writing on Twitter after the hearing, President Donald Trump said of Mr Kavanaugh, “His testimony was powerful, honest, and riveting. Democrats' search and destroy strategy is disgraceful and this process has been a total sham and effort to delay, obstruct, and resist. The Senate must vote!”
Sen. Lindsey Graham provided a full-throated defence for Brett Kavanaugh during the recess, according to numerous reporters. His full remarks are below:
"Well let me put it this way to my Republican colleagues. If this becomes the new standard where you have an accusation for weeks, you drop it right before the hearing, you withhold from the committee a chance to do this in a professional timely fashion. When they say they’re going to do this is to delay the vote, get the Senate back in 2018 so they can fill the seat. I don’t want to publicly reward that kind of behavior. I think we’ve been very fair. And to my Republican colleagues. If you can ignore everything in this record an allegation that’s 35 years old, that’s uncertain in time, place, date and no corroboration. If that’s enough for you, God help us all as Republicans. Because this happens to us, but this never happens to them. Let me tell my democratic friends, if this is the new norm, you better watch out for your nominees."
The Independent’s Holly Baxter writes, “There are few images which summarise the world’s attitude to sexual assault better than the one presently circulating of Christine Blasey Ford, raising her hand in front of a judiciary committee made up almost exclusively of middle-aged men.”
Chuck Grassley thanked Dr Ford for “her bravery,” allowing her to conclude her testimony before calling a 40 minute recess.
As the Senate Judiciary Committee heads into a break, get up to speed on the historic Kavanaugh-Ford hearings through The Independent's live coverage here and on Twitter.
Lindsey Graham provided another full-throated defence of Brett Kavanaugh after the hearing, attacking the Democratic Party and saying “I feel ambushed as the majority.”
The Republican senator added that Dr Ford was “a very competent, accomplished lady," but would not say whether he believed her accusations or found her fully credible.
Republican Senator John Cornyn has told reporters he “found no reason to find [Christine Blasey Ford] not credible.”
“There are obviously gaps in her story,” he added. “We know that happens with people who are traumatized … I thought she did just fine.”
Dianne Feinstein has released this video and message after Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony:
“What I find most inexcusable is this rush to judgment, the unwillingness to take these kinds of allegations at face value and look at them for what they are—a real question of character for someone who is asking for a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court.”
Folks across the country appear to be paying acute attention to the hearings, listening from planes, trains and workspaces. Below is a photo of two New Yorkers attentively listening to Christine Blasey Ford's testimony while travelling on the city's subway transit service.
Here's video of Lindsey Graham's controversial defence for Brett Kavanaugh following Christine Blasey Ford's testimony.
The Republican senator told reporters, "I’m not going to reward people for playing a political game," adding, "She is just as much a victim of this as I think Brett Kavanaugh is."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments