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Kavanaugh Denies Allegations Of Sexual Assault Before Senate Committee

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

And it has been a day like no other on Capitol Hill as President Trump's pick for the Supreme Court and the woman who has accused him of sexual assault spoke to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and to the world. Christine Blasey Ford testified first. She leaned into her microphone.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD: Is this good?

CHUCK GRASSLEY: Yeah.

FORD: OK. Thank you, Chairman Grassley and ranking member Feinstein. Members of the committee, my name is Christine Blasey Ford.

KELLY: Ford gave details of what she remembers from a summer night 36 years ago. She said she was pushed into a room and onto a bed, Kavanaugh on top of her, putting his hand over her mouth. It was hard to breathe, she said. And she said she feared he would kill her.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

FORD: Brett's assault on me drastically altered my life. For a very long time, I was too afraid and ashamed to tell anyone these details. I did not want to tell my parents that I, at age 15, was in a house without any parents present, drinking beer with boys. I convinced myself that because Brett did not rape me, I should just move on and just pretend that it didn't happen.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

Afterwards, it was Judge Brett Kavanaugh's time to testify.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BRETT KAVANAUGH: Mr. Chairman, ranking member Feinstein, members of the committee...

CORNISH: With his voice rising, he condemned how long it took for him to get a public hearing.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

KAVANAUGH: In those 10 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 10-day delay has been harmful to me and my family, to the Supreme Court and to the country.

CORNISH: Brett Kavanaugh said he did not doubt that Christine Blasey Ford had been assaulted. But he said, I have never done this.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

KAVANAUGH: I've never sexually assaulted anyone - not in high school, not in college, not ever.

KELLY: And Kavanaugh broke down as he described a scene at home.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

KAVANAUGH: The other night, Ashley and my daughter Liza said their prayers. And little Liza, all of 10 years old, said to Ashley, we should pray for the woman. That's a lot of wisdom from a 10-year-old. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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