Trump backs embattled Kavanaugh
Supreme Court nominee denies any wrongdoings in Senate hearing
WASHINGTON: Brett Kavanaugh’s contentious Supreme Court nomination was be put to an initial vote, after a dramatic Senate hearing saw the judge furiously fight back against sexual assault allegations recounted in harrowing detail by his accuser.
Donald Trump whole-heartedly backed his pick for the nation’s top bench after the gripping day-long hearing opened with Christine Blasey Ford, 51, who delivered to a packed room her stark account of what she said was an attempted rape by Kavanaugh 36 years ago.
In a passionate defence, the 53-year-old conservative judge insisted before the Senate Judiciary Committee that it never happened, accusing Democrats of destroying his reputation and condemning his confirmation battle as a “national disgrace” and a “circus”.
“Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him,” the president tweeted just minutes after the close of the hearing yesterday.
“His testimony was powerful,
honest and riveting,” Trump said. “Democrats’ search and destroy strategy has been a total sham and effort to delay, obstruct and resist. The Senate must vote!”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Trump would get
his wish, with the Judiciary Committee – which has 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats – set to vote on its recommendation yesterday before the nomination goes to the full Senate, where Republicans hold a slim 51-49 edge.
The allegations against Kavanaugh by Blasey Ford, a psychology professor in California, have threatened to derail Trump’s bid to tilt the highest US court to the right for years to come.
They come against a backdrop of the #MeToo movement – and the hearing included sharp exchanges between Republicans and Democrats mirroring the atmosphere of bitter political partisanship in Washington.
“I categorically and unequivocally deny the allegation by Dr Ford,” Kavanaugh said in an opening statement during which his voice shook with anger, repeatedly fighting back tears.
“I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not in college, not ever,” he said. “I am innocent of this charge.”
Earlier, during four hours of testimony, Blasey Ford said she was “100%” certain that Kavanaugh was her assailant and it was “absolutely not” a case of mistaken identity.
“I am here today not because I want to be,” Blasey Ford said as she recounted the alleged assault at a high school party at a suburban Maryland home.
“I am terrified,” she said, her voice often quivering. “I am here because it is my civic duty to tell you what happened to me.”
The married mother-of-two appeared nervous but poised as she sat at the witness table, consulting occasionally with her lawyer.
She said Kavanaugh and a friend of his, Mark Judge, were drunk at the 1982 party when they pushed her into a bedroom.
“Brett and Mark came into the bedroom and locked the door behind them,” she said. “I was pushed onto the bed and Brett got on top of me.”
“I believed he was going to rape me,” she said. “I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from yelling.” “It was hard for me to breathe, and I thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me,” she said.
Blasey Ford said she managed to escape after Judge jumped on the bed, sending the three toppling to the floor.