WATCH: Brett Kavanaugh Rages, Battles Tears in Fiery Testimony: This is a ‘National Disgrace’

Judge Brett Kavanaugh delivered a fiery and emotional opening statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the hearing over allegations against him by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and others. Kavanaugh blasted the proceedings, the allegations, and the Democrats, at times enraged and other times near tears.

“I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process,” said Kavanaugh. “You’ve tried hard. You’ve 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.”

Judge Kavanaugh had previously prepared remarks, which were leaked Wednesday, but delivered instead this statement which he said no other than a former clerk had seen up to that point. The angry defiant Judge unleashed during his remarks, calling the proceedings a national disgrace, and saying that he country will “reap the whirlwind” for decades to come.

Above is clip of the first ten minutes of his remarks. The remainder are below.

“This is a circus,” he said. “This grotesque and coordinated character assassination will dissuade competent and good people of all political persuasions from serving our country.”

He said that “what goes around, comes around”, indicating that in the future it won’t necessarily be a conservative facing such a process.

He stood by his strong denial of all allegations, as he has maintained since the start.

“I’m here today to tell the truth,” he said. “I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone. Not in high school, not in college, not ever. Sexual assault is horrific.”

Part two:

Here is a partial transcript that will be updated.

Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Feinstein, and Members of the Committee: Thank you for allowing me to make my statement. I wrote it myself yesterday evening. I wrote it myself yesterday afternoon and evening. No one else has seen a draft, or it, except for one of my former law clerks. This is my statement.

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 longtime friend Miss Keyser, have said they recall no such event. Her longtime friend Ms. Keyser said under penalty of felony that she does not know me, and does not believe she ever saw me at a part ever. Here is the quote from Ms. Keyser’s attorney’s letter. “Simpy put, Ms. Keyser does not know Mr. Kavanaugh, and she has no recollection of ever being at a 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 possible, to clear my name. I demanded a hearing 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, FBI or otherwise. The committee now has conducted a thorough investigation and I’ve cooperated fully. I know that any kind of investigation, Senate, FBI, Montgomery County Police, whatever, will clear me. Listen to the people I know, listen to the people who’ve 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 thirty-six 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 after I 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 are “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 email to my wife. To make any kind of allegation against me and my friends. To blow me up and to take me down. You sowed 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 embarrassment, but at least it was just a good old-fashioned attempt at Bork-ing. Those efforts didn’t work. When I did okay enough at the hearings that it looked like I might actually get confirmed, 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 uncritically by the media.

This has destroyed my family and my good name, a good name built up through decades of very hard work in public service at the highest levels of 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 competent and good people of all political persuasions from serving this 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 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’ve tried hard. You’ve given it your all. No one can question your effort. You’ve tried hard. You’ve 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’ll never get me to quit. Never.

I’m here today to tell the truth. I’ve 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 thirties confided 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 those allegations also deserves to be heard. Due process is a foundation of the American rule of law. Due process means listening to both sides.

As I told you in my hearing three weeks ago, I’m the only child of Martha and Ed Kavanaugh. They’re 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 taught me the importance of equality and respect 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 was “use your common sense. What rings true? What rings false? Her trademark line is a good reminder as we sit here today, some thirty-six years after the alleged event 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 to 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 some place 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. And little Liza, all of ten years old — said to Ashley we should pray for the woman. That’s a lot of wisdom from a ten year old. We mean no ill will.

First, let’s start with my career. For the last 26 years, since 1992, I have served in many high profile and sensitive government positions for which the FBI has investigated my background six separate times. Six separate FBI background investigations over 26 years, all of them after the event alleged here. I have been in the public arena and under extreme public scrutiny for decades. In 1992 I worked for the office of Solicitor General in the Department of Justice. In 1993 I clerked in the Supreme Court for Justice Anthony Kennedy.

I spent four years in the Independent Counsel’s office in 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 national media and political spotlight. I and other leading members of Ken Starr’s office were opposition researched from head to toe. From birth to the present day.

This post will be updated.

Watch the clips above, via CNN.

[Featured image via screengrab]

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