Watch 2 sexual assault survivors powerfully confront GOP Sen. Jeff Flake after he says he'll vote to confirm Kavanaugh
When Republican Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) announced Friday he would vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, the backlash was immediate.
On his way to vote for Kavanaugh in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Flake was confronted by a woman who said she is a sexual assault survivor and recognized Christine Blasey Ford's story as credible. Ford testified Thursday that Kavanaugh groped her and attempted to rape her in high school, while Kavanaugh testified that he never did so; both were under oath. Flake, considered to be a key swing vote, said that he would vote for Kavanaugh after leaving the hearing with "as much doubt as certainty."
"What you are doing is allowing someone who actually violated a woman to sit on the Supreme Court," the woman, who said she shared the story of her assault with Flake's office Monday, told the senator. "This is not tolerable."
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Soon, a second protester, who also identified herself as a sexual assault survivor, joined in. "You're telling all women that they don't matter, that they should just stay quiet because if they tell you what happened to them, you're going to ignore them," she said. "That's what happened to me, and that's what you're telling all women in America."
Flake looked away as the woman began to cry, prompting her to yell, "Look at me when I'm talking to you! You're telling me that my assault doesn't matter." When asked to say whether he believes Kavanaugh is telling the truth, Flake said nothing at all. Watch the full exchange, which was broadcast live on CNN, below. Brendan Morrow
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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.
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