through the morning she didn't want this as a public thing. she came as a civic duty. >> she hoped he wouldn't get the nomination. she wanted it to be someone else entirely. >> she came out early enough before making it to the short list. she did it to the short list. >> she did it in a way that she didn't go to the media. it's like what you learn as a little kid, when you see something that's not working in your town, call your local congressman. that's exactly what she did. >> and the tipline. >> the encrypted tip line where she really could remain with a feeling of safety of confidentiality. i think brett kavanaugh is in a position here, i'm with jan, i don't know if i were brett kavanaugh that i would have watched any of that, because i think that it would either infuriate me if nas't, there i didn't do this, this never happened, and it an

assassination on my character, or it might throw me off in terms of my emotional being when i go in there. >> i still think you have to know, rikki, what the other person is saying about you. >> well, i think we knew what she was saying. >> i would want to hear it. >> don't you think they'll ask him that. >> and what his reaction was. >> it's a better answer for him to say he watched and whatever his reaction may have been. it's a better answer than saying, no, i wasn't going to do that. >> there's no compromise here. he's elevated to the supreme court or he's not. >> right. and he will have the tag with him for the rest of his life, elevated or not. >> and there are no winners. whether he's elevated or not, he doesn't win. she doesn't win. the supreme court -- >> the family. >> this entire process, there are no winners. >> what could have made this a winning situation? would the f.b.i. investigation in the beginning have at least made this seem like a fair

situation to people who were calling for it from the beginning? i said earlier today, she wanted an f.b.i. investigation and people had something to hide are not saying, please, come and investigate me. >> well, the thing, when the committee became aware of the allegations only a couple weeks ago, there could have been then an f.b.i. investigation whether they went and interviewed the witnesses. the argument against that was the senate has the same kind of... all these statements they're taking with their investigators is the forum for it. those are punishable. it's a felony if you lie. so it's really no different. we're going to do it in the committee because the f.b.i. investigation process has already ended and this had never come up by then. >> senator graham said he would have had an investigation within the last 11 days. >> no question about it. >> that's right. absolutely. that's what i'm saying. they could have done that... in hill thomas, it was matter of three days. but that wouldn't have answered anything is my point. they don't resolve... the f.b.i. just takes interviews. >> but it would have been an objective investigation in the d

have robbed a talking point. politically maybe that was a big blunder by republicans, whether or not it would have provided any more information. >> and perhaps there is some chance they might have found something that would have made things clearer. >> cleared him. >> well, indeed. some people have argued that he should... there should be an f.b.i. investigation for the purposes of clearing him, but i think embedded in your question, gail, which is could this have been better, largely embed in this is this is really not the best venue to look at the trickiest, thorniest parts of our culture that are bedelving all parts of the culture. it is inevitably fraught, and this is not the best place to unwind those questions because we get to find -- we've yet to find a best place. >> how much we've learned. we did it in 1991, and now doing it all over again in the same way. it is not necessarily the most effective way to do it, but this is how it's happening.

right now. we see senate judiciary chairman chuck grassley heading back and lindsey graham heading back in. he says he feels ambushed by the process. orrin hatch you see there. so senators making their way back in. there's your republican-picked questioner, rachel mitchell also on her way back in, john kennedy to the hearing room right now. john cornyn, who we heard from before. john cornyn's words were i would say more measured than lindsey graham's were immediately after him. lindsey graham certainly had some very strong opinions about what has taken place so far. you see ted cruz walking back in, ben sasse. so all senators, jeff flake. again, you just saw a few of the senators who you're going to be watching very closely, not just this afternoon, but in the next few days. and as we figure out, a, whether this first vote, a, what happens

this afternoon, b whether a vote takes place tomorrow, and then c, whether one takes place after that early next week regarding brett kavanaugh and the supreme court. they took a break now. it was about 50 minutes ago. they said it was going to be 45-minute break in between when christine blasey ford testified and when judge brett kavanaugh testified. so it's now been a little more than that 45 minutes. we've been asking the question of whether judge kavanaugh had been watching some of this testimony. we don't know the answer to that. we do know that during part of his time he was obviously making his way from his home to the hearing itself. we're also told that the president has been watching this hearing. he also was in transit heading to d.c. from new york where he was for the u.n. meetings. so the folks involved intimately

in this as well as the rest of the country watching everything that has been happening here, so closely today. and we'll continue to watch this afternoon as we just don't know at this point, rikki, what's going to happen this afternoon. >> no, we don't. we can anticipate as much as we can that you're going to see an indignant brett kavanaugh, but you're also going to see a passionate one. >> let's listen and watch as brett kavanaugh walks in. >> he was holding his wife's

hand. >> judge kavanaugh walking into that hearing room holding hands with his wife, a blue tie as he makes his way to the hearing table. just his name in front of him. christine blasey ford was flanked by her attorneys. i don't see other seats there right now, so it's just brett kavanaugh by himself in that chair. it would appear right now as he prepares to receive questions in five-minute increments from 11 senators on the senate judiciary committee and ten democrats. at this point a hearing that will... there's chuck grassley, dianne feinstein, hearing that will likely take us into the dinner hour at this point. let's watch as judge kavanaugh sits down.

>> judge kavanaugh, we welcome you. are you ready? >> i am. >> i have something i want the clear up from the last meeting that doesn't affect you, so before i swear you, i would like to explain my response to senator kennedy right after the break. at that time i entered into the record the statements of three witnesses dr. ford said were also at the party. these statements were provided to us under penalty of felony by lying, if you lie to congress. as on as my team learned the names of these three potential

witnesses, we immediately reached out to them, requesting an interview. in response, all three submitted statements to us denying any knowledge of the gathering dr. ford described. if we had calls with them, we would have invited the minority to join. every time that we have received any information regarding judge kavanaugh, we have sought to immediately follow through and investigate. the minority after the sat on dr. ford's letter for weeks and staff told us that they believed it is "highly inappropriate to have these follow-up calls before the f.b.i. finishes this investigation." even though the f.b.i. had completed its background information. when we followed up with judge kavanaugh after we received

dr. ford's allegations, the ranking member staff didn't join us, even though these calls are usually done on a bipartisan basis. they joined other calls with a judge, but they didn't participate or ask any questions. would you please rise, sir. >> yes. >> do you affirm that the testimony you're about to give before the committee will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but truth, so help you god? >> i do. >> yeah. and like we offered to senator or to dr. ford, you can take whatever time you want now for your opening statement. then we'll go to questions. proceed. mr. chairman, ranking member feinstein, and members of the committee, thank you for alouing me to make my statement. i wrote it myself yesterday

afternoon or evening. no one has seen a draft or it except for one of my former law clerks. less than two weeks ago dr. ford publicly accused me of committing wrongdoing at an event more than 36 years ago when we were both in high school. i denied the allegation immediately, categorically, and unequivocally. all four people allegedly at the event, including dr. ford's long-time friend ms. keyser, have said they recall no such event. her long-time friend ms. keyser said under penalty of felony that she does not know me and does not believe she ever saw me at a party ever. here is the quote from ms. keyser's attorney's letter. "simply put, ms. keyser does not know mr. kavanaugh and she has no recollection of ever being at

party or gathering where he was present with or without dr. ford." think about that fact. the day after the allegation appeared, i told this committee that i wanted a hearing as soon as possible to clear my name. i demanded a hearing for the very next day. unfortunately, it took the committee ten days to get to this hearing. in those ten long days, as was predictable, and as i predicted, my family and my name have been totally and permanently destroyed by vicious and false additional accusations. the ten-day delay has been harmful to me and my family, to the supreme court, and to the

country. when this allegation first arose, i welcomed any kind of investigation, senate, f.b.i., or otherwise. the committee now has conducted a thorough investigation, and i have cooperated fully. i know that any kind of investigation, senate, f.b.i., montgomery county police, whatever, will clear me. listen to the people i know. listen to the people who have known me my whole life. listen to the people i've grown up with and worked with and played with and coached with and dated and taught and gone to games with and had beers with and listen to the witnesses who allegedly were at this event 36 years ago. listen to ms. keyser. she does not know me. i was not at the party described by dr. ford.

this confirmation process has become a national disgrace. the constitution gives the senate an important role in the confirmation process, but you have replaced advice and consent with search and destroy. since my nomination in july, there has been a frenzy on the left to come up with something, anything, to block my confirmation. shortly air was nominated the democratic senate leader said he would "oppose me with everything he's got." a democratic senator on this committee publicly referred to me as evil -- evil. think about that word. and said that those who supported me were "complicit in evil." another democratic senator on this committee said "judge kavanaugh is your worst

nightmare." a former head of the democratic national committee said, "judge kavanaugh will threaten the lives of millions of americans for decades to come." i understand the passions of the moment, but i would say to those senators, your words have meaning. millions of americans listened carefully to you. given comments like those, is it any surprise that people have been willing to do anything to make any physical threat against my family, to send any violent e-mail to my wife, to make any kind of allegation against me and against my friends to blow me up and take me down. you sewed the wind.

for decades to come i fear the whole country will reap the whirlwind. the behavior of several of the democratic members of this committee at my hearing a few weeks ago was an boston marathon, but at least it was just a good old-fashioned attempt at borking. those efforts didn't work. when i did at least okay enough at the hearing that it looked like i might actually get confirm, a new tactic was needed. some of you were lying in wait and had it ready. this first allegation was held in secret for weeks by a democratic member of this committee and by staff. it would be needed only if you couldn't take me out on the merits. when it was needed, this allegation was unleashed and publicly deployed over dr. ford's wishes. and then, and then as no doubt was expected, if not planned,

came a long series of false, last-minute smears designed to scare me and drive me out of the process before any hearing occurred. crazy stuff, gangs, illegitimate children, fights on boats in rhode island, all nonsense, reported breathlessly and often uncreditsically by the media. this has destroyed my family and my good name. a good name built up through decades of very hard work and public service at the highest levels of the american government. this whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit fueled with apparent pent-up anger about president trump and the 2016 election, fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record, revenge on

behalf of the clintons, and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups. this is a circus. the consequences will extend long past my nomination. the consequences will be with us for decades. this grotesque and coordinated character assassination will dissuade competence in good people of all political persuasions from serving our country, and as we all know, in the united states political system of the early 2000s, what goes around comes around. i am an optimistic guy. i always try to be on the sunrise side of the mountain, to be optimistic about the day that is coming, but today i have to say that i fear for the future. last time i was here, i told

this committee that a federal judge must be independent, not swayed by public or political pressure. i said i was such a judge, and i am. i will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process. you have tried hard, and you have given it your all, no one can question your effort, but your coordinated and well-funded effort to destroy my good name and destroy my family will not drive me out. the vile threats of violence against my family will not drive me out. you may defeat me in the final vote, but you will never get me to quit. never. i'm here today to tell the truth. i have never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not in college, not ever. sexual assault is horrific.

one of my closest friends to this day is a woman who was sexually abused and who in the 1990s when we were in our 30s con findsed in me about the abuse and sought my advice. i was one of the only people she consulted. allegations of sexual assault must always be taken seriously, always. those who make allegations always deserve to be heard. at the same time, the person who is the subject of the allegations also deserves to be heard. due process is a foundation of the american rule of law. due process means listening es. as i told you at my hearing three weeks ago, i'm the only child of martha and ed kavanaugh.

they are here today. when i was ten, my mom went to law school and as a lawyer she worked hard and overcame barriers, including the workplace sexual harassment that so many women faced at the time and still face today. she became a trailblazer, one of maryland's earliest women prosecutors and trial judges. she and my dad called -- taught me the portion of equality and respects for all people, and she inspired me to be a lawyer and a judge. last time i was here, i told you that when my mom was a prosecutor and i was in high school she used to practice her closing arguments at the dining room table on my dad and me. as i told you, her trademark line wasour common sense. what rings true? what rings false?" hetrademark line is a good

reminder as we sit here today some 36 years after the alleged events occurred, when there is no corroboration and indeed it is refuted by the people allegedly there, after i have been in the public arena for 26 years without even a hint, a whiff of an allegation like this, and when my nomination of the supreme court was just about to be voted on at a time when i'm called evil by a democratic member of this committee, while democratic opponents of my nomination say people will die if i am confirmed. this onslaught of last-minute allegations does not ring true. i'm not questioning that dr. ford may have been sexually assaulted by some person in someplace at some time, but i have never done this to her or

to anyone. that's not who i am. it is not who i was. i am innocent of this charge. i intend no ill will to dr. ford and her family. the other night ashley and my daughter liza said their prayers, analyza, all of ten years old, said to ashley we should pray for the woman. a lot of wisdom from a ten-year-old. we mean no ill will. first lets start with my career. haerved inanyve since 1992

th iestigated my background six separate times. six separate f.b.i. background investigations. over 26 years. all of them after the events i i -- alleged here. i've been in the public arena and under extreme public scrutiny for decades. in 1992 i worked for the office of sliz or the general in the department of justice. in 1993 i clerked on the supreme court for justice justice anthony kennedy. i spent four years at the independent counsel's office during the 1990s. that office was the subject of enormous scrutiny from the media and the public. during 1998, the year of the impeachment of president clinton, our office generally

and i personally were in the middle of an intense national media and political spotlight. i and other leading members of ken starr's office were opposition research from head to toe, from birth through the present day. recall the people who were exposed that year of 1998 in having engaged in some sexual wrongdoing and indiscretion in their past. one person on the left even paid $1 million for people to report evidence of sexual wrongdoing, and it worked. he exposed some prominent people. nothing about me. from 2001 to 2006, i worked for president george w. bush in the white house. as staff secretary i was by president bush's side for three years. i was entrusted with the nation's most sensitive secrets. i traveled on air force one all over the country and the world

with president bush. i went everywhere with him from texas to pakistan, from alaska to australia, from buckingham palace to the vatican. three years in the west wing, five and a half years in the white house. i was then nominated to be a judge on the d.c. circuit. i was thoroughly vetted by the white house, the f.b.i., the american bar association, and this committee. i sat before this committee for two thorough confirmation hearings in 2004 and 2006. for the past 12 years leading up to my nomination for this job, i have served in a very public arena as a federal judge on what is often referred to as the second most important court in the country. i've handled some of the most significant and sensitive cases affecting the lives and liberties of the american people. i have been a good judge.

and for this nomination, another f.b.i. background investigation, another american bar association investigation, 31 hours of hearings, 65 senator meetings, 1,200 written questions, more than all previous supreme court nominees combined, throughout that entire time, throughout my 53 years and seven months on this earth, until last week, i no one ever accused me of any kind of sexual misconduct. no one ever. a lifetime. a lifetime of public service and a lifetime of high-profile public service at the highest levels of american government. and never a hint of anything of this kind. and that's because nothing of this kind ever happened.

second, let's turn to specifics. i categorically and unequivocally deny the allegation against my by dr. ford. i never had any sexual or physical encounter of any kind with dr. ford. i inner attended a gathering like the one dr. ford describes in her allegations. i have never sexually assaulted dr. ford or anyone. again, i am not questioning that dr. ford may have been sexually assaulted by some person in someplace at some time. but i have never done that to her or the anyone dr. ford's allegation stems from party that she alleges during the summer of 1982. 36 years ago. i was 17 years old between my ju arsf gh

school at rigorous all-boys catholic jesuit high school in rockville, maryland. when my friends and i spent time together at parties on weekend, it was usually with friends from nearby catholic all-girls high school, stone ridge, holy child, visitation, immaculata, holy cross. dr. ford did not attend one of those schools. she attended a independent private school named houlton arms. she was a year behind me. she and i did not travel in the same social circles. it is possible that we met at some point at some event, although i do not recall that. to repeat, all of the people identified by dr. ford as being present at the party have said they do not remember any such party ever happening. importantly, her friend,

ms. keyser, has not only denied knowledge of the party, ms. keyser said under penalty of felony she does not know me, does not recall ever being at party with me ever. and my two male friends who were allegedly there, who knew me well, have told this committee under penalty of felony that they do not recall any such party and that i never did or would do anything like this. dr. ford's allegation is not merely uncorroborated. it is refuted by the very people she says were there, including by a long-time friend of hers, refuted. third, dr. ford has said this event occurred at a house near columbia country club, which is at the corner of connecticut avenue and the east west highway in c