Sen. Jeff Flake – the last undecided Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee – said Friday he will vote to approve Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
Following Thursday’s high-stakes testimony – in which Christine Blasey Ford said in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee that Kavanaugh, allegedly held her down, put his hand over her mouth and tried to remove her clothes more than three decades ago – it did not seem imminently clear the Arizona Republican would vote to approve the nomination. But his opinion was solidified on Friday, according to his statement.
“I believe that the Constitution’s provisions of fairness and due process apply here as well. I will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh,” he said.
Flake, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, appeared to stand up for the California psychology professor on Wednesday prior to the hearing.
“I do not believe the claim of sexual assault is invalid because a 15-year-old girl didn’t report the assault to authorities, as the president of the United States said just two days ago,” Flake, who is not running for re-election this fall, said. “How uniformed and uncaring do we have to be to say things like that, much less believe them?”
During the hearing in front of the committee that is made up of 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats, Flake did not ask any questions.
Right after Flake announced he would vote for Kavanaugh, two women, who said they were sexual assault survivors, confronted him while he was on an elevator.
His vote meant he was “telling all women that they don’t matter, that they should just stay quiet,” one woman said. “Look at me when I’m talking to you. You are telling me that my assault doesn’t matter,” she added.
Flake looked uncomfortable as they spoke to him.
Moments later, in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Flake voted with fellow Republicans to set a 1:30 p.m. committee vote on Kavanaugh.
