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Everything on Brett Kavanaugh, the Accusations and the Fallout Brett Kavanaugh, the Accusations and the Fallout: Everything You’ve Missed
(about 14 hours later)
Updated Sept. 27 Updated Sept. 28
President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee and the woman who accused him of sexual assault at a high school party appeared separately before a Senate committee on Thursday to share emotional and contradictory accounts of what happened decades ago. A Senate committee is scheduled to vote on President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee on Friday, just one day after hearing emotional and contradicting accounts from the nominee, Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, and Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused him of sexually assaulting her at a party decades ago.
“I believed he was going to rape me,” the woman, Christine Blasey Ford, told the committee in discussing her harrowing account of assault. “I believed he was going to rape me,” Dr. Blasey, a university professor and research psychologist, told the Senate Judiciary Committee, in describing her harrowing account.
“This is a circus,” the nominee, Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, said in denying her allegations at the hearing, which was being watched live by Americans across the country. “This is a circus,” Judge Kavanaugh said, denying her allegations.
After the hearing ended, Mr. Trump praised Judge Kavanaugh, attacked Democrats and implored the Senate to vote. Several women have accused Judge Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. On Friday morning, Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, said that he would vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh, bringing Mr. Trump’s nominee to the brink of confirmation. Shortly after doing so, he was confronted by two women who emotionally described their own experiences of sexual assault.
“Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him. His testimony was powerful, honest, and riveting,” the president said on Twitter. “The Senate must vote!” Read the transcript. Here’s a guide to the latest coverage from The Times.
Several women have made accusations of sexual misconduct against Judge Kavanaugh. Here’s a guide to the latest coverage from The Times.
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On Thursday, Dr. Blasey gave stirring testimony about the terror she felt on a summer day more than 30 years ago when, she said, a drunken teenage Kavanaugh pinned her on a bed, tried to rip her clothes off and clapped his hand over mouth as she pleaded for help. Dr. Blasey gave stirring testimony on Thursday about the terror she felt one summer day more than 30 years ago when, she said, a drunken teenage Kavanaugh pinned her on a bed, tried to rip her clothes off and clapped his hand over her mouth as she pleaded for help.
Sitting in the same seat a few hours later, Judge Kavanaugh delivered a blistering defense, denouncing a partisan “frenzy” bent on destroying his nomination, his family and his good name. Appearing before the same committee later in the day, Judge Kavanaugh delivered a blistering defense, denouncing a partisan “frenzy” bent on destroying his nomination.
The contrast between their demeanors was stark. While Dr. Blasey was at times deferential, even solicitous, Judge Kavanaugh was bristling with outrage and grievance. The contrast was stark. While Dr. Blasey was deferential, even solicitous, Judge Kavanaugh was bristling with outrage and grievance. The accounts left no room for compromise: Senators were left to choose which one they believed.
Their accounts left no room for compromise and no possibility of confusion. In effect, they asked senators to choose which one they believed. Americans were transfixed. Online, donations poured in to a fund-raising campaign set up on behalf of Dr. Blasey after she mentioned it in the hearing. And, on television, C-Span became an unlikely town square for everyday people to share their deeply personal reactions to the unfolding drama.
On the internet, donations came pouring in to a GoFundMe campaign set up on behalf of Dr. Blasey after she mentioned it in the hearing room. And on television, C-Span became an unlikely town square for everyday people to share their deeply personal reactions to the unfolding drama. We heard from dozens of readers who identified themselves as trauma victims and said they struggled with their own memories as Dr. Blasey shared her story.
We heard from dozens of readers on Thursday who identified themselves as trauma victims and said they struggled with their own memories as Dr. Blasey shared her story. For his part, Mr. Trump praised Judge Kavanaugh, attacked Democrats and urged the Senate to vote.
The Republican senators have pledged to push ahead with a committee vote scheduled for Friday morning. Watch a recap of Thursday’s hearing here. “Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him. His testimony was powerful, honest, and riveting,” the president tweeted. “The Senate must vote!”
Dr. Blasey was the first to accuse Judge Kavanaugh, but she was not alone. In all, three women have come forward publicly in recent days with allegations against him, while two additional anonymous accusations surfaced on Wednesday, one of which was later recanted. Watch a recap of Thursday’s hearing here.
At the hearing on Thursday, Dr. Blasey detailed her accusation that Judge Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a gathering of high school friends in suburban Washington. In telling her story, Dr. Blasey came across as an Everywoman — an Everywoman with a Ph.D. (Read our profile of her.) Dr. Blasey was the first to accuse Judge Kavanaugh, but she was not alone. Two other women have come forward publicly in recent days with allegations against him, while an additional anonymous accusation surfaced on Wednesday.
This week, The New Yorker reported that Deborah Ramirez, who works for the Boulder County housing department in Colorado and sits on the board of a domestic violence organization, said that Judge Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a drunken college party. (Here’s our profile of her.) At the hearing, Dr. Blasey came across as an Everywoman — an Everywoman with a Ph.D. (Read our profile of her.)
Earlier this week, Deborah Ramirez, who works for the Boulder County housing department in Colorado and sits on the board of a domestic violence organization, accused Judge Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her at a drunken college party. (Here’s our profile of her.)
Then, on Wednesday, Julie Swetnick, who has held a variety of public- and private-sector jobs, including working for federal government agencies, said that Judge Kavanaugh was “present” when she was raped at a high school party.Then, on Wednesday, Julie Swetnick, who has held a variety of public- and private-sector jobs, including working for federal government agencies, said that Judge Kavanaugh was “present” when she was raped at a high school party.
One name has come up in multiple accusations: Mark Judge, one of Judge Kavanaugh’s high school friends. Dr. Blasey and Ms. Swetnick have both named Mr. Judge as being present at the time. Here’s what we know about him. Dr. Blasey and Ms. Swetnick both said Mark Judge, one of Judge Kavanaugh’s high school friends, was present at the time. Here’s what we know about him.
In an anonymous letter sent to a Republican senator, a woman said her daughter witnessed Judge Kavanaugh drunkenly push her friend, whom he was dating, against a wall after they left a Washington bar one night in 1998. A culture of heavy drinking, one that some describe as disrespectful to women, emerged as another common theme among the accusations.
In an anonymous letter sent to a Republican senator, a woman said her daughter witnessed Judge Kavanaugh drunkenly push a woman he was dating against a wall after they left a Washington bar one night in 1998.
Although he admitted on Wednesday to having regrets about his choices in high school, Judge Kavanaugh has adamantly denied the allegations. He defended himself, tearfully and angrily, again at the Thursday hearing.Although he admitted on Wednesday to having regrets about his choices in high school, Judge Kavanaugh has adamantly denied the allegations. He defended himself, tearfully and angrily, again at the Thursday hearing.
Rumors have also started circulating about the accusers’ allegations. We debunk five viral ones here. Rumors have circulated about the accusers’ allegations. We debunk five viral ones here.
[Make sense of the people, issues and ideas shaping the 2018 elections with our new politics newsletter. Here’s our latest one on Wednesday’s news.][Make sense of the people, issues and ideas shaping the 2018 elections with our new politics newsletter. Here’s our latest one on Wednesday’s news.]
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Republicans have suggested that the claims are part of a smear campaign, with Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina calling it “the most unethical sham” he has seen since the start of his political career. Republicans have suggested that the accusations are part of a smear campaign, with Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina angrily calling it “the most unethical sham” he has seen since the start of his political career.
“What you want to do is destroy this guy’s life, hold this seat open and hope you win in 2020,” said Mr. Graham, all but cementing his transformation from an anti-Trump maverick to Mr. Trump’s closest ally and most ardent defender. Democrats, meanwhile, applauded Dr. Blasey’s courage and said that her appearance before the committee bolstered her credibility.
Earlier in the week, Judge Kavanaugh took the extraordinary measure of defending himself in a Fox News interview, the first time in memory that a Supreme Court nominee sat for a televised interview before a confirmation vote. The stakes are high, with some Democrats hoping that a derailment of Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation could buy them time to win back the Senate in the November midterm elections, and, consequently, gain control over the confirmation of Mr. Trump’s next nominee.
Conservatives are divided over how to proceed. The nomination itself rests on the votes of a few Senate Republicans, and one of them, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, warned not to prejudge the allegations. For now, however, the nomination rests on the opinions of just a few Senate Republicans, including Senator Susan Collins of Maine. Our reporter watched Thursday’s hearing with a group of women in her home state who were divided on how she should vote.
Some Republican women running for the House have calibrated their responses to the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh to avoid alienating female voters. The accusations have rallied survivors of abuse around a new hashtag, #WhyIDidntReport, which highlights the difficulties, fear, anger and shame that so often surround sexual harassment and assault. The onslaught of news about sexual violence can be a lot. Here’s how some are coping.
For good reason, too. In battleground districts, voters are deeply divided on the nomination. On Thursday, the American Bar Association called for postponing Friday’s vote, while the editorial board of America Magazine, a Jesuit publication, withdrew its endorsement of Judge Kavanaugh.
Our reporter watched Thursday’s hearing with a group of women in Maine who ended up being evenly divided on whether Senator Susan Collins should vote yes or no on Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination. Here’s a look at some of the response from the right and the left.
As Judge Kavanaugh’s high school and college years have come under scrutiny, a common theme has emerged with respect to the accusations: heavy drinking and a culture that some describe as disrespectful to women.
The sensitivity of the situation, particularly in the #MeToo era, is not lost on the 11 Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, all of them white men. They retained a female prosecutor to help question the witness at Thursday’s hearing. Here’s what we know about that prosecutor, Rachel Mitchell, who ended up thoroughly questioning Dr. Blasey but barely cross-examining Judge Kavanaugh after Republican senators took back control.
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The allegations activated liberals, who held rallies and participated in walkouts on Monday, ahead of a planned day of action on Thursday. Survivors of abuse have also rallied around a new hashtag, #WhyIDidntReport, to highlight the difficulties, fear, anger and shame that so often surround sexual harassment and assault. Many see parallels between Dr. Blasey and the other women and Anita Hill, who accused Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment during his Supreme Court confirmation process more than a quarter-century ago.
“I believe her,” Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, who has emerged as a leading Democratic defender of the women who have accused Judge Kavanaugh, said of Dr. Blasey’s accusation. (She is a member of the Judiciary Committee.)
The political stakes are high, with some Democrats hoping that the derailment of Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation could buy them time to win back the Senate in the November midterm elections, and, consequently, gain control over the confirmation of Mr. Trump’s next nominee.
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Many have seen parallels between the accusations facing Judge Kavanaugh today and the ones from Anita Hill, who accused Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual misconduct during his Supreme Court confirmation process more than a quarter-century ago.
Read more about her testimony and key moments from Judge Thomas’s hearings, and listen to an episode from The Daily that revisits it. Ms. Hill, now a professor at Brandeis University, weighed in herself, writing in a New York Times Op-Ed that, this time around, the Senate Judiciary Committee can “do better.”Read more about her testimony and key moments from Judge Thomas’s hearings, and listen to an episode from The Daily that revisits it. Ms. Hill, now a professor at Brandeis University, weighed in herself, writing in a New York Times Op-Ed that, this time around, the Senate Judiciary Committee can “do better.”
Before the hearing advisers said that Dr. Blasey and Judge Kavanaugh faced different challenges. For Dr. Blasey, an unknown figure, details mattered. For Judge Kavanaugh, he needed to defend himself, but not attack his accuser.
We know, this is all a lot. Here’s how some are coping when the daily bombardment of news about sexual violence becomes overwhelming.