New poll finds majority of Republicans think Kavanaugh should be confirmed even if Christine Blasey Ford's allegation is true


As Christine Blasey Ford prepares to testify this week that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school, a new poll suggests many Republicans don't care whether she's telling the truth or not.
The poll, released Wednesday by NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist, asked Americans if Kavanaugh should be confirmed to the Supreme Court even "if the charge of sexual assault during a party in high school by Christine Blasey Ford" is true. Among Republicans surveyed, 54 percent said he should still be confirmed. Only 32 percent of Republicans said Kavanaugh should not be confirmed if Ford's allegation is true. This was not the case among adults overall, as 59 percent of the poll's respondents said if Ford is telling the truth, Kavanaugh shouldn't be confirmed. Kavanaugh has denied the allegation.
Earlier this week, Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) suggested that Kavanaugh doing "something really bad 36 years ago" may not disqualify him from serving as a Supreme Court justice. The poll suggests many Republicans agree.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This poll was conducted by speaking to 997 adults over the phone from Sept. 22 to Sept. 24, partially before and partially after a second allegation against Kavanaugh came to light on Sept. 23. The margin of error is +/- 3.9 percent. Read the full results at NPR.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
The Y chromosome degrades over time and men's health is paying for it
Under the radar The chromosome loss is linked to cancer and Alzheimer's
-
One great cookbook: 'I Dream of Dinner (so you don't have to)'
the week recommends The endless ease and versatility of a painless dinner
-
Crossword: May 7, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Hollywood confounded by Trump's film tariff idea
speed read President Trump proposed a '100% tariff' on movies 'produced in foreign lands'
-
Trump offers migrants $1,000 to 'self-deport'
speed read The Department of Homeland Security says undocumented immigrants can leave the US in a more 'dignified way'
-
Trump is not sure he must follow the Constitution
speed read When asked about due process for migrants in a TV interview, President Trump said he didn't know whether he had to uphold the Fifth Amendment
-
Trump judge bars deportations under 1798 law
speed read A Trump appointee has ruled that the president's use of a wartime act for deportations is illegal
-
Trump ousts Waltz as NSA, taps him for UN role
speed read President Donald Trump removed Mike Waltz as national security adviser and nominated him as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
-
Trump blames Biden for tariffs-linked contraction
speed read The US economy shrank 0.3% in the first three months of 2025, the Commerce Department reported
-
Trump says he could bring back Ábrego García but won't
Speed Read At a rally to mark his 100th day in office, the president doubled down on his unpopular immigration and economic policies
-
Canada's Liberals, Carney win national election
Speed Read The party of Prime Minister Mark Carney beat Conservative Pierre Poilievre thanks in part to Trump's trade war