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!”
Ms Ford begins her statement and asks for caffeine if it's available.
Ms Ford describes her family. "I am terrified. I am here because I feel it is my civic duty," she said, holding back tears.
Ms Ford describes her high school, the all-girls Holton Arms high school, where the girls often mingled with local boys from the all-boys high schools in the area.
"This is how I met Brett Kavanaugh, the boy who sexually assaulted me," she said.
"We did not know each other well, but I knew him and he knew me"
Ms Ford said "I truly wish I could be more helpful" about answering detailed questions about how she came to the party where she said Mr Kavanaugh had assaulted her.
She said there are details "I will remember my whole life".
"Brett and Mark [Judge] were visibly drunk," Ms Ford said, emotionally describing the incident from her recollection.
She said she had been pushed into a bedroom by Mr Kavanaugh, "I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth...it was hard for me to breathe. I thought he would accidentally going to kill me," she said.
She went into detail about the alleged incident, describing her "one piece swimsuit" and the alleged actions of both the "boys".
"I did not want to tell my parents...I convinced myself that since Brett did not rape me, I should just move on and pretend it did not happen. I had never told anyone the specific details until May 2012 couples counseling session" with her husband, Dr Ford said.
She said the specific details of the incident came up in the therapy session because the couple had gone through a "very long" remodeling of their home and she had asked for a second door for their bedroom.
Dr Ford said her husband did not understand why that request was so important to her, but through counseling and describing the alleged assault he did.
She said her husband remembers Mr Kavanaugh as the man she named as her accuser.
"I was very conflicted as to whether to speak out," Dr Ford said.
She appears to be choking back tears throughout this opening statement.
Dr Ford had sent a letter about the allegations to her California House representative, with the understanding that though her name was included, it would remain confidential.
"Victims of sexual assault should have the right to make the decision" to come forward, she said.
"Reporters appeared at my home and workplace asking for" details about the letter "in the presence of my graduate students".
It was important for me to describe the incident "in my own words," Dr Ford said.
She said there was an "outpouring of support" since the initial story about the letter on 16 September.
But, she also described the death threats, hateful messages, and posting of her personal information as well as that of her parents online.
Her "work email was hacked and messages were sent out trying to recant my account of the assault," she said.
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