kavanaugh-ford hearing
Watch Brett Kavanaugh's furious, tearful opening statement
Brett Kavanaugh came out swinging against Democrats in a remarkable opening statement during Thursday's historic Senate hearing.
President Trump's Supreme Court nominee spoke hours after Christine Blasey Ford testified under oath that Kavanaugh had groped and attempted to rape her at a high school party. While denying under oath all sexual misconduct allegations against him, Kavanaugh hammered Democratic senators for turning his confirmation process into a "national disgrace," accusing them of replacing "'advise and consent' with 'search and destroy'," "totally and permanently" ruining his "good name," and bringing harm to his family.
The nominee also accused the senators in attendance of going after him in a "coordinated and well-funded" "political hit" as "revenge on behalf of the Clintons." But he told the senators he will "not be intimidated" into withdrawing even if "you may defeat me in the final vote," also warning Democrats that "what goes around, comes around." Kavanaugh additionally said that after facing what he insists are false allegations, he now "[fears] for the future," adding that because of what Democratic senators have "unleashed," he may never be able to teach law or coach girls' basketball again.
Kavanaugh proceeded to refute Ford's allegations while admitting he did "stupid things" in high school and "sometimes had too many beers." But the behavior he says he now cringes at does not include sexual misconduct, he argued. "I never committed sexual assault." Watch Kavanaugh's remarks in full below. Brendan Morrow