Watch: Historic hearing as Supreme Court Nominee Kavanaugh testifies on sexual assault allegations

Brett Kavanaugh called himself the victim of a "calculated and orchestrated political hit" Thursday, saying he and his family have been "totally and permanently destroyed" by the sexual assault allegations he faces.

Speaking at a near-shout at times before the Senate Judiciary Committee, he called the allegations a result of "pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election" and said his confirmation process has become a "circus."

"I've never done this," Kavanaugh said of the assault charges by Christine Blasey Ford. "It's not who I am. I am innocent."



In testimony that could determine if he is confirmed to the Supreme Court, Kavanaugh said he doesn't question that Ford was sexually assaulted by some person, "but I've never done that to her or to anyone."

He said he welcomed any investigation, even as Republican senators have said they don't see a need for the FBI to probe Ford's claim.






The hearing featured jarring, rapid jumps between Ford's memory being tested by Rachel Mitchell, the Arizona sex crimes prosecutor who Republican senators hired to ask questions on their behalf, and Democrats whose questions were designed to establish that Ford is certain it was Kavanaugh -- not somebody else -- who assaulted her.






Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, said it is "very suspicious of how this all came out. All the media contacts, hiring a lawyer to take a polygraph makes it even more suspicious. This was meant to be anonymous."



Kavanaugh won't ask for FBI probe




Grassley angrily interjected.


Democrats also pressed for Kavanaugh friend Mark Judge, who Ford says was in the room when Kavanaugh assaulted her, to be compelled to testify under oath.


"You'd have to ask him," Kavanaugh said.




Mitchell's questioning





The questions were similar to what a witness might face in a criminal trial, but the optics are unusual for a Senate hearing. In a moment that underscored how Republican senators sought to avoid being the ones to ask Ford pointed questions, at one point Ford looked to Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the committee's chairman, and asked: "Can I address you directly?"





Ford describes her alleged assault


In the room, with Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge, she said, a drunk Kavanaugh "groped me and tried to take off my clothes."








Partisan barbs between Grassley, Feinstein

The hearing opened with partisan barbs before either Ford or Kavanaugh testified.

Grassley opened the hearing by pointing out that Kavanaugh had been through six FBI background checks with no hint of sexual assault allegations emerging. He called Democratic calls for an FBI investigation into the accusations "obstruction."

Grassley repeated his assertion that he has no authority to force the FBI to investigate the allegations, and said "it was easy to identify all the alleged witnesses and conduct our own investigations."

He also criticized the committee's top-ranking Democrat, Feinstein, for failing to immediately share Ford's claim when she received Ford's letter detailing her allegation in July.

"Every step of the way, the Democratic side refused to participate in what should have been a bipartisan investigation," Grassley said.

Feinstein took a shot at Grassley, telling Ford that "the chairman chose not to do this -- but I think it's appropriate that you're properly introduced," and then running through Ford's resume, which includes two master's degrees.

"I am very grateful to you for your strength and your bravery in coming forward. I know it's hard," she said.

Trump, Pence call Kavanaugh

Trump and Vice President Mike Pence both phoned Kavanaugh to voice their support for him ahead of Thursday's hearing. Trump's message when he spoke with Kavanaugh, a source familiar with the call said, was to be aggressive and forceful in his denials, and not afraid to push back on the allegations.

Ford's husband, Russell Ford, is in California with their two children and is not present, Ford's team tells CNN.

Kavanaugh planned to watch at least the first part of Ford's testimony from Pence's ceremonial office on the Senate side of the Capitol, a source familiar with the plan said. As Ford's legal team requested, Kavanaugh will never be in the same room as Ford.

The Supreme Court nominee has been "incandescent" -- as in extremely angry -- according to one person involved in his preparation. For Kavanaugh, his supporters say, it's not as much about a Supreme Court seat now but defending his name. He vehemently denies Ford's allegations and says that perhaps she was sexually assaulted by someone in some place but it wasn't him.

Thursday's hearing comes as two other named individuals have levied allegations against Kavanaugh. Democrats are pushing Grassley to subpoena Judge, the Kavanaugh friend who Ford says was in the room with him when she was assaulted.

Regarding other allegations -- some of which have been anonymous -- that have come to the committee since Ford came forward, Kavanaugh has called some of them "ridiculous," his supporters tell CNN.
