Fighting to salvage his U.S. Supreme Court nomination, Brett Kavanaugh angrily denied on Thursday a university professor’s accusation that he sexually assaulted her 36 years ago in a day of dramatic testimony that gripped the country.
Christine Blasey Ford, her voice sometimes cracking with emotion, appeared in public for the first time to detail her allegation against Kavanaugh, a conservative federal appeals court judge chosen by President Donald Trump for a lifetime job on the top U.S. court.
Ford told the Senate Judiciary Committee she feared Kavanaugh would rape and accidentally kill her during the alleged assault in 1982, when both were high school students in Maryland.
She said she was “100 percent certain” it was Kavanaugh who assaulted her.
Kavanaugh testified after Ford finished her appearance, claiming he was the victim of “grotesque and obvious character assassination” orchestrated by Senate Democrats. He said he “unequivocally and categorically” denied Ford’s allegation and vowed he would not back down.
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“I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process,” Kavanaugh added.
Dr Christine Blasey Ford offered emotional testimony about the alleged assault by the Supreme Court nominee, saying, “I am here because I believe it is my civic duty to tell you what happened to me while Brett Kavanaugh and I were in high school.”
Dr Ford said she was “100%” certain it was Kavanaugh who had assaulted her.
Dr Ford also testified about her
memory of “the uproarious laughter” between Kavanaugh and his friend, Mark Judge , and the two “having fun at my expense”.
Kavanaugh was defiant in his testimony, denying the sexual assault allegations and stating, “You’ll never get me to quit.”
Kavanaugh repeatedly shouted during his opening remarks, at one point saying, “This is a circus!” and “The consequences will extend long past my nomination.”
Republicans called the events a “national disgrace ” and “despicable ” and on numerous occasions apologized to Kavanaugh.
Kavanaugh repeatedly responded to senator Amy Klobuchar’s questions by asking her about her drinking – and later offered a brief apology.
The nominee repeatedly declined to answer questions about whether he would ask for or support an FBI investigation into Dr Ford’s allegations.
Kavanaugh called the allegations from the third accuser, Julie Swetnick, a “joke” and a “farce”.
The Senate judiciary committee plans to hold a vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination on
Friday morning.
Donald Trump praised Kavanaugh’s testimony as “powerful” and “honest” and did not offer any comment on Dr Ford’s testimony.
