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!”
Mr Kavanaugh became heated and lectured Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal for asking about mentions in the nominee's highschool yearbook "Renate Alumnus". Mr Kavanaugh claims he had not had sexual encounters with the woman.
"You're doing a great harm to her," Mr Kavanaugh said of the allegations or insinuations that several boys in Mr Kavanaugh's graduating class had bragged about sleeping with the girl in their yearbooks. "You're dragging her through the mud".
Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has joined many of his Republican colleagues in attacking Democrats for calling for an FBI investigation into the allegations against Mr Kavanaugh.
Mr Kavanaugh has said that the FBI does not evaluate credibility, but instead gathers information.
Republicans have frequently noted that the FBI does not make judgements in pushing back on Democrats' request for such a probe — and have said that the Senate can conduct its own investigations. Democrats, meanwhile, have noted key witnesses in the allegations against Mr Kavanaugh, including Mark Judge, have not been subpoenaed, highlighting the limitations of the current Senate investigation into the allegations.
They're back!
Democrats and Republicans are continuing their partisan fight over Mr Kavanaugh.
Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono has noted the personal anguish that Dr Christine Blasey Ford has gone through, and suggested that attacking her for her "courage" is not appropriate.
Mr Kavanaugh, earlier in the hearing, choked up when saying his daughter had said they should pray for Dr Ford.
Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono referenced Mr Kavanaugh's Fox News interview, and asked if he would say that he never drank to the point that he blacked out in high school or college. Mr Kavanaugh said he did not.
Ms Hirono then quoted college friends who said that Mr Kavanaugh drank heavily.
Mr Kavanaugh responded that he went to Yale University, and that it was not easy to get into the school. He noted that he was on athletic teams in college.
Ms Hirono asked if he was a "sloppy" drunk as a former college friend said.
Mr Kavanaugh did not answer, but said that he worked hard in college, played basketball and sports, and also socialised.
Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono has entered four letters into the Senate records, all of which requested an FBI investigation.
She did so to push back against Republican assertions that all Democrats needed to do was ask for an FBI investigation into the allegations against Mr Kavanaugh.
North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis has questioned why Democrats did not ask more questions before, suggesting that they are not serious about evaluating Mr Kavanaugh.
"Maybe you're after executing some political agenda," Mr Tillis said to his Democrat colleagues.
New Jersey Cory Booker has questioned Mr Kavanaugh's drinking habits when he was a teenager. He asked if the word "skis" written in his calendar referred to "brewskis" or beers. He noted that there is a date on the calendar that would indicated Mr Kavanaugh drank on a week day — even though he had previously indicated that he did not drink on week days.
Mr Booker appears to have been referencing a July 1 entry in Mr Kavanaugh's teenage calendar, in which it appears that Mr Kavanaugh was at a friend's house with two individuals Dr Ford says were present at the party over 30 years ago where she claims she was attacked by the judge.
New Jersey Cory Booker lead Mr Kavanaugh through a series of questions to determine he nominee's perspective toward Dr Ford.
Mr Kavanaugh agreed that he did not think that Dr Ford was taking part in a coordinated effort to undermine his nomination, even though he does believe Democrats are engaged in an effort like that.
Mr Booker then noted that Dr Ford had "courage" to come forward, and that it was not the first time she had mentioned it: She had previously mentioned it to friends and during therapy sessions before Mr Kavanaugh's nomination. She had also sent word to the White House on her allegations when she found out that Mr Kavanaugh was on the White House's short list to become a nominee.
"She is not a political pawn," Mr Booker said. "She is a woman who came here with corroborating evidence to tell her truth",
Mr Kavanaugh indicated that he does not believe the evidence is corroborated.
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