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
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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!”
"If you wanted a fair process...you came to wrong town at the wrong time," Mr Graham said to Mr Kavanaugh.
"This is going to destroy the ability of good people to come forward because of this crap," Mr Graham asserted, clearly angry.
"I hope the American people will see through this charade," Mr Graham said, appearing to look disgusted.
Tensions are at a high in this hearing, even more so than when Dr Ford was testifying.
Watch the exchange between Mr Leahy and the nominee about Mr Judge, the man Dr Ford said was in the room during the alleged assault.
Mr Whitehouse is asking about Mr Kavanaugh's high school yearbook. The nominee and Mr Graham have both said the line of questioning is 'absurd' and 'troubling' because it was a product of teenagers.
None of the Republican Senators asked Dr Ford any questions, instead relying on Ms Mitchell, a sex crimes prosecutor to do so.
Senator John Cornyn tells Mr Kavanaugh: "don't give up".
"This is not a job interview, you've been accused of a crime," Mr Cornyn said, saying Democrats are in the wrong.
"The burden is not on you to disprove the allegations made...I understand this isn't a trial, but I just want to make sure we all understood," Mr Cornyn said.
Senator Amy Klobuchar said the committee has the Constitutional duty to "advise and consent" - which Mr Kavanaugh earlier said was "replaced by 'search and destry'"
In comparison, Ms Klobuchar and Mr Kavanaugh have a much calmer, less contentious rapport.
Ms Klobuchar said "you could just get this over with" by asking Donald Trump to open an FBI investigation.
Mr Kavanaugh said "you're doing the investigation".
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