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| Christine Blasey Ford hailed as 'heroic' as she concludes testimony – live updates | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Mitchell ends her questioning by acknowledging that her own method of questioning is not a best practice interview for survivors of sexual assault. | |
| “Did you know that the best way to do it is to have a trained interview interview you in a private sense and have you do the talking?” she asks Dr Ford. | |
| “It’s called a cognitive interview. This is not a cognitive interview,” she adds. | |
| Mitchell then asks Ford whether anyone from Anna Eshoo’s office or Dianne Feinstein advised her to get a cognitive interview. She says they did not. | |
| And with that, Ford’s testimony comes to an end. “Lets be nice to her,” Senator Grassley says to his colleagues on the committee who start discussing evidence to be entered into the record. He then thanks Ford for appearing and the committee breaks for 45 minutes. | |
| Brett Kavanaugh is set to appear after. | |
| Senator Harris starts her questioning with three powerful words: “I believe you,” she tells Dr Ford. | |
| She then goes on, as all of her Democratic colleagues have, to lambast Republicans on the committee and the president for not commencing an FBI investigation into Ford’s allegations. | |
| “You have bravely come forward and I want to thank you,” Harris says. “History will show you are a true profile in courage.” | |
| Back to Mitchell now. She asks Dr Ford if she’s aware of any outside parties funding her legal team. | |
| Ford’s lawyers intervene to say they are both working to represent their client pro bono. | |
| Ford is then asked about an old friend, who does she not want to name, who was a mutual friend of both her and Kavanaugh. | |
| She is then asked to list any other encounters she remembers between her and Kavanugh and asked if any of these involved separate allegations of sexual assault. She says there were no other interactions that involved assault. | |
| Mitchell then hands over to Democratic senator Kamala Harris. | |
| Senator Booker asks how Dr Ford’s family, her two children and her husband, have coped since her name entered the public domain. “They’re doing fairly well, considering. Thank you for asking,” she responds. | |
| Like other Democratic senators, he hails Dr Ford’s courage in coming forward, which he labels “heroic”. | |
| Booker asks how Ford feels about the limited investigative efforts of the committee. | |
| “I wish that I could be more helpful, and that others could be more helpful,” she says. | |
| Mitchell is now asking Dr Ford about the letter she wrote to Senator Dianne Feinstein on 30 July. | |
| She confirms she did not expect the letter to be made public, and says she did not provide it to anyone else other than her attorneys. She says she does not know how the letter was made public. | |
| Her five minutes is up again and the questions are handed to Democratic senator Cory Booker. | |
| We’re back underway now. | We’re back underway now. |
| Mitchell is now asking Dr Ford who paid for the polygraph test she took. Her lawyers interject to say that they funded the test, “as is routine”. | Mitchell is now asking Dr Ford who paid for the polygraph test she took. Her lawyers interject to say that they funded the test, “as is routine”. |
| Another Republican senator on the judiciary committee, John Cornyn, appears to be unmoved by Dr Ford’s testimony. | Another Republican senator on the judiciary committee, John Cornyn, appears to be unmoved by Dr Ford’s testimony. |
| He told CNN: “Basically she’s repeating what we already knew, which is she believes something happened. She believes it was Brett Kavanaugh but everybody she claims was in the house denies having any knowledge of it. There is no corroboration.” | He told CNN: “Basically she’s repeating what we already knew, which is she believes something happened. She believes it was Brett Kavanaugh but everybody she claims was in the house denies having any knowledge of it. There is no corroboration.” |
| Jeff Flake, another GOP senator who may become a key vote in the process, has said he wants to hear all the evidence before passing comment. | Jeff Flake, another GOP senator who may become a key vote in the process, has said he wants to hear all the evidence before passing comment. |
| Republican Lindsey Graham, who has already told reporters he is unswayed by Ford’s evidence, has just been accused of dismissing a woman outside of the hearing who told him she was sexually assaulted years ago: | Republican Lindsey Graham, who has already told reporters he is unswayed by Ford’s evidence, has just been accused of dismissing a woman outside of the hearing who told him she was sexually assaulted years ago: |
| I was there for this —> https://t.co/JPetLytCcx | I was there for this —> https://t.co/JPetLytCcx |
| That was me! @LindseyGrahamSC said he did not believe Dr. Ford because she couldn’t recall the exact date of the assault. I told him I was raped 13yrs ago but don’t know the date. So would he believe me?He said “I’m sorry, but then you should go to the cops.”#BelieveSurvivors https://t.co/UERpDmvBU9 | That was me! @LindseyGrahamSC said he did not believe Dr. Ford because she couldn’t recall the exact date of the assault. I told him I was raped 13yrs ago but don’t know the date. So would he believe me?He said “I’m sorry, but then you should go to the cops.”#BelieveSurvivors https://t.co/UERpDmvBU9 |
| In an indication of how closely Donald Trump is watching this hearing, the White House has confirmed that a scheduled meeting between the president and deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein has been postponed. The crucial meeting was called after the New York Times reported last week that Rosenstein, who is overseeing the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, had offered to wear a wire during a meeting with Trump. | In an indication of how closely Donald Trump is watching this hearing, the White House has confirmed that a scheduled meeting between the president and deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein has been postponed. The crucial meeting was called after the New York Times reported last week that Rosenstein, who is overseeing the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, had offered to wear a wire during a meeting with Trump. |
| From press secretary Sarah Sanders: “The president spoke with Rod Rosenstein a few minutes ago and they plan to meet next week. They do not want to do anything to interfere with the hearing.” | From press secretary Sarah Sanders: “The president spoke with Rod Rosenstein a few minutes ago and they plan to meet next week. They do not want to do anything to interfere with the hearing.” |
| Meanwhile, its worth taking a look at how Ford’s testimony is playing out on conservative news channel Fox News: | Meanwhile, its worth taking a look at how Ford’s testimony is playing out on conservative news channel Fox News: |
| On Fox News, Bret Baier says hearing from Blasey Ford "is a totally different thing" than reading her allegations.Chris Wallace: "This was extremely emotional, extremely raw, and extremely credible... This is a disaster for the Republicans." pic.twitter.com/aSbznSJdHC | On Fox News, Bret Baier says hearing from Blasey Ford "is a totally different thing" than reading her allegations.Chris Wallace: "This was extremely emotional, extremely raw, and extremely credible... This is a disaster for the Republicans." pic.twitter.com/aSbznSJdHC |
| The president’s son Donald Trump Jr, a regular contributor to Fox News, has been tweeting throughout Dr Ford’s evidence. | The president’s son Donald Trump Jr, a regular contributor to Fox News, has been tweeting throughout Dr Ford’s evidence. |
| Trump Jr, who regularly spreads conspiracy theories and outright falsehoods using social media, appears to be suggesting that some of Ford’s testimony on her fear of flying undermines her account of the alleged sexual assault. | Trump Jr, who regularly spreads conspiracy theories and outright falsehoods using social media, appears to be suggesting that some of Ford’s testimony on her fear of flying undermines her account of the alleged sexual assault. |
| I’m no psychology professor but it does seem weird to me that someone could have a selective fear of flying. Can’t do it to testify but for vacation, well it’s not a problem at all. | I’m no psychology professor but it does seem weird to me that someone could have a selective fear of flying. Can’t do it to testify but for vacation, well it’s not a problem at all. |
| It’s a marked contrast to experienced prosecutors, like former federal US attorney Preet Bharara, who argue the line of questioning was not credible. | It’s a marked contrast to experienced prosecutors, like former federal US attorney Preet Bharara, who argue the line of questioning was not credible. |
| The polygraph timing cross was even worse than the airplane cross. | The polygraph timing cross was even worse than the airplane cross. |
| Meanwhile, a number of Republican senators on the judiciary committee appear to be unswayed by Ford’s evidence: | Meanwhile, a number of Republican senators on the judiciary committee appear to be unswayed by Ford’s evidence: |
| Sen. Orrin Hatch says it’s too early to say if Ford is credible. “I don’t think she’s uncredible. I think she an attractive, good witness,” he said. Asked by @ElizLanders what he meant by “attractive,” he said, “In other words, she’s pleasing.” | Sen. Orrin Hatch says it’s too early to say if Ford is credible. “I don’t think she’s uncredible. I think she an attractive, good witness,” he said. Asked by @ElizLanders what he meant by “attractive,” he said, “In other words, she’s pleasing.” |
| .@LindseyGrahamSC says he has not yet heard anything from Christine Blasey Ford that would change his mind about Kavanaugh | .@LindseyGrahamSC says he has not yet heard anything from Christine Blasey Ford that would change his mind about Kavanaugh |
| As Ford testifies on Capitol Hill, all eyes are on a handful of Republican senators who could prove as crucial swing votes on the Kavanaugh nomination. | As Ford testifies on Capitol Hill, all eyes are on a handful of Republican senators who could prove as crucial swing votes on the Kavanaugh nomination. |
| Two of the chamber’s most prominent Republican women, Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have expressed reservations about Kavanaugh in the wake of the allegations. | Two of the chamber’s most prominent Republican women, Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have expressed reservations about Kavanaugh in the wake of the allegations. |
| “We are now in a place where it’s not about whether or not Judge Kavanaugh is qualified,” Murkowski told the New York Times this week. | “We are now in a place where it’s not about whether or not Judge Kavanaugh is qualified,” Murkowski told the New York Times this week. |
| “It is about whether or not a woman who has been a victim at some point in her life is to be believed.” | “It is about whether or not a woman who has been a victim at some point in her life is to be believed.” |
| Collins has reportedly raised concerns to her Republican colleagues in private about the judiciary committee’s refusal to subpoena Mark Judge, the close friend of Kavanaugh’s who Ford says was present during the alleged assault. | Collins has reportedly raised concerns to her Republican colleagues in private about the judiciary committee’s refusal to subpoena Mark Judge, the close friend of Kavanaugh’s who Ford says was present during the alleged assault. |
| Both senators said they will be closely watching Thursday’s hearing to make a determination about how they believe the Kavanaugh nomination should proceed. | Both senators said they will be closely watching Thursday’s hearing to make a determination about how they believe the Kavanaugh nomination should proceed. |
| Senator Jeff Flake, a Republican from Arizona, also expressed reservations amid the allegations and delivered a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday urging both Ford and Kavanaugh to be treated with respect. | Senator Jeff Flake, a Republican from Arizona, also expressed reservations amid the allegations and delivered a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday urging both Ford and Kavanaugh to be treated with respect. |
| “These witnesses who will testify in a very important hearing tomorrow, these unwitting combatants in an undeclared war – these people are not props for us to make our political points, nor are they to be ‘demolished like Anita Hill’ as was said on conservative media the other night,” Flake said. “Nor is one them a ‘proven sex criminal’ as has been circulating on the left side of the internet.” | “These witnesses who will testify in a very important hearing tomorrow, these unwitting combatants in an undeclared war – these people are not props for us to make our political points, nor are they to be ‘demolished like Anita Hill’ as was said on conservative media the other night,” Flake said. “Nor is one them a ‘proven sex criminal’ as has been circulating on the left side of the internet.” |
| Mitchell is now asking Dr Ford about her decision to take a polygraph test. She asks if the test was recorded, either on video or audio. Ford says she was overcome by the process of taking the test and does not remember if it was recorded. | Mitchell is now asking Dr Ford about her decision to take a polygraph test. She asks if the test was recorded, either on video or audio. Ford says she was overcome by the process of taking the test and does not remember if it was recorded. |
| It’s worth bearing in mind here that the Senate is in possession of the full results of that test, which Ford passed. | It’s worth bearing in mind here that the Senate is in possession of the full results of that test, which Ford passed. |
| We’re now on a 45-minute break for lunch. | We’re now on a 45-minute break for lunch. |