Brett Kavanaugh may have the support of at least one Democratic senator.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) now seems to be leaning towards voting "yes" on Kavanaugh, according to a new report from Politico, which also says Manchin "certainly is gettable" for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky). Kavanaugh needs at least 50 votes to be confirmed (Vice President Mike Pence would break the tie), and since there are 51 Republicans in the Senate, a "yes" vote from Manchin could make up for a "no" vote from another swing senator like Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) or Susan Collins (R-Maine). President Trump clearly sees Manchin as gettable, as Politico reports the two have spoken about the confirmation.
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.
Though Manchin hasn't made many public remarks about Kavanaugh, and while he told Politico that he's still undecided, he also noted that he sympathizes with Kavanaugh and is "not hearing anything [disqualifying] from the 30 years as an adult, in his professional life." Manchin also recently told Al Jazeera that he is "looking at the gentleman as an adult from 22 to 53" and "trying to put the human side to it."
-
Farage’s £9m windfall: will it smooth his path to power?In Depth The record donation has come amidst rumours of collaboration with the Conservatives and allegations of racism in Farage's school days
-
The issue dividing Israel: ultra-Orthodox draft dodgersIn the Spotlight A new bill has solidified the community’s ‘draft evasion’ stance, with this issue becoming the country’s ‘greatest internal security threat’
-
Codeword: December 13, 2025The daily codeword puzzle from The Week
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
-
Indiana Senate rejects Trump’s gerrymander pushSpeed Read The proposed gerrymander would have likely flipped the state’s two Democratic-held US House seats
-
Democrat files to impeach RFK Jr.Speed Read Rep. Haley Stevens filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
-
$1M ‘Trump Gold Card’ goes live amid travel rule furorSpeed Read The new gold card visa offers an expedited path to citizenship in exchange for $1 million
-
US seizes oil tanker off VenezuelaSpeed Read The seizure was a significant escalation in the pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
-
Judge orders release of Ghislaine Maxwell recordsSpeed Read The grand jury records from the 2019 prosecution of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be made public
-
Miami elects first Democratic mayor in 28 yearsSpeed Read Eileen Higgins, Miami’s first woman mayor, focused on affordability and Trump’s immigration crackdown in her campaign
