Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh responded to thinly-sourced allegations against him during in a Fox News interview on Monday night.
Joined by his wife, Ashley Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee joined Fox News “The Story” with Martha MacCallum to defend himself against accusations made in The Washington Post last week and the New Yorker on Sunday.
Here is how Kavanaugh answered all the questions from MacCallum:
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: What made you decide to speak out before the hearing on Thursday, Judge Kavanaugh?
Brett Kavanaugh: I am looking for a fair process, a process where I can defend my integrity and clear my name. And all Iām asking for is fairness and that Iād be heard in this process.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: So let me ā letās get in to some of these allegations, because youāve responded to them in statements, but you havenāt had a chance to respond them ā to them in a fuller way.
And Christine Ford is expected to testify on Thursday, that you at a party in high school pinned her to a bed, held your hand over her mouth. She said she was afraid that she could inadvertently (ph) be killed at that moment.
She said that you tried to take off her clothes, and she believes that you wouldāve raped her if Mark Judge hadnāt climbed on top and everyone tumbled to the floor. And then she had an opportunity to get away.
Now, she doesnāt remember the date and she doesnāt remember the place. But what she does remember that I just detailed, is very specific.
And other assault victims say that theyāve had similar memories where they remembered exactly what happened but they didnāt necessarily remember the events surrounding it. You have categorically denied that this happened. Did anything happen?
Brett Kavanaugh: No. I had never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not ever. Iāve always treated women with dignity and respect.
Listen to the people whoāve known me best through my whole life, the women who have known me since high school, the 65 who overnight signed a letter from high school saying I always treated them with dignity and respectā
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: This (ph) Christine Ford, do you know her?
Brett Kavanaugh: I may have met her, we did not travel in the same social circle, she was not a friend, not someone I knewā
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: You donāt remember ever being at parties with her ever?
Brett Kavanaugh: I do not. And this is an allegation about a party in the summer of 1982 at a house near Connecticut Avenue and East West highway with five people present.
I was never at any such party. The other people who are alleged to be present have said they do not remember any such party. A woman who was present, another woman who was present who is Dr. Fordās lifelong friend has said she doesnāt know me and never remembers being at a party with me at any time in her life.
All Iām asking for is a fair process where I can be heard.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: And to this date, no one has corroborated the story that she has told. As you accurately point out, but is there ā so thereās no chance that there was something between the two of you that maybe she misunderstood the exchange that you had?
Nothing ever physical, you never met her, never kissed her, never touched her, nothing that you remember?
Brett Kavanaugh: Correct. I ā I never had any sexual or physical activity with Dr, Ford. Iāve never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or otherwiseā
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: So, where do you think this is coming from? Why would she make this up?
Brett Kavanaugh: What I know is the truth. And the truth is, Iāve never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or otherwise. I am not questioning and have not questioned that perhaps Dr. Ford at some point in her life was sexually assaulted by someone in some place. But what I know is Iāve never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or at any time in my life ā
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: So, when she says thereās no doubt in her mind that it was you, because she was asked that. Is it possible that you maybe confused him, maybe itās a mistaken identity, maybe it was someone else. She said absolutely not.
Brett Kavanaugh: I have never sexually assaulted anyone. I was not at the party described. I was not anywhere at any place resembling that in the summer of 1982. The other people alleged to be there donāt say anything like that. And the woman whoās alleged to be there, whoās her friend, says that she doesnāt know me and doesnāt recall ever being at a party with me in her life.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: And now over the weekend youāve gotten new allegations. And obviously these other allegations, they say that they are standing up basically in support of Christine Ford, that they wouldnāt have come forward otherwise, but they donāt want her to be made to look like a liar. And Deborah Ramirez was a freshman at Yale. She sayās she was at a dorm party and this happened quote āBrett was laughing, I can still see his face and his hips coming forward like when you pull up your pants. Iām confident about the pants coming up, and Iām confident about Brett being there.ā
She was initially uncertain it was you, they write in this piece, but after six days sheās confident enough, she says. Should the American people view her as credible?
Brett Kavanaugh: I never did any such thing ā never did any such thing. The other people alleged to be there, donāt recall any such thing. If such as thing had a happened, it wouldāve been the talk of campus. The women I knew in college and the men I knew in college said that itās unconceivable that I couldāve done such a thing.
And the New York Times has reported that just last week the person making the accusation was calling other classmates saying she was not sure that I had done this. Again ā again, just asking for a fair process where I can be heard and I can defend my integrity.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: As you say, other Yale classmates were asked by her if they recall the incident, and told some of them that she couldnāt be certain that Mr. Kavanaugh was the one who exposed himself. So she appears to be expressing some uncertainly. Given the doubts, are you surprised that the New Yorker published this account?
Brett Kavanaugh: Iām not going to comment on the New Yorkerās journalistic practices. The New York Times said they could not corroborate this story and said that the person making the accusation had been calling around last week to other classmates, indicating her uncertainty about whether I had ever done such a thing.
Again, Iām just asking for a fair process where I can be heard and defend my integrity and defend my familyās integrity.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: It was one roommate ā I think his last name of Roche (ph) ā who said, you know, that he could see this kind of thing happening, that you drink a lot in high school, drink a lot in college. And although he hadnāt seen or heard this incident himself, that it added up to him, that ā that it made sense that you treated women that way.
Brett Kavanaugh: Iāve always treated women with dignity and respect. He does not corroborate the incident at all. The incident did not happen.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: You remember him? He was your roommate?
Brett Kavanaugh: I do remember him.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: So why do you think he would say that?
Brett Kavanaugh: What I know ā Iām not going to speculate about motives. I know I never did that. If I had done that, it wouldāve been the talk of the campus, and we have the reports saying that, even as late as the few weeks, she was calling around and not certain.
What I know is Iāve always treated women with dignity and respect. Listen to the women whoāve known me my whole life. A letter from friends I knew in high school, produced overnight 65 women who knew me in high school, women I knew in college who said how I much I support their women athletics, their letter and their goals (ph).
When I worked in the Bush White House, 84 women signed a letter saying that, in the pressurized environment of the west-wing, I always treated them with equality and promoted womenās advancement ā
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: (Inaudible) weāve spoken to a couple of those women on our show, who signed that original letter, who stuck up for you unequivocally, that is absolutely true. And now ā but now youāve got more allegations.
So youāve got this sort of attempt to kind of swarm a number of people who are putting at least enough doubt out there so that this process will be stymied so that it will take longer and so that they will get the investigation that theyāre looking for.
Michael Avenatti says that he has significant evidence and another accuser, who claims that you and Mark Judge, at multiple house parties in the Washington D.C. area during the 1980s, would participate in the targeting of women with alcohol and drugs to allow a train of men to subsequently gang-rape them.
There are multiple witnesses that will corroborate these facts, and each of them must be called to testify publically. Did you ever participate in or where you ever aware of any gang-rape that happened at a party that you attended?
Brett Kavanaugh: Thatās totally false and outrageous. Iāve never done any such thing, known about any such thing. When I was in high school ā and I went to an all boys catholic high school, a judgment (ph) high school, where I was focused on academics and athletics, going to church every Sunday at Little Flower, working on my service projects, and friendship, friendship with my fellow classmates and friendship with girls from the local all girls Catholic schools.
And yes, there were parties. And the drinking age was 18, and yes, the seniors were legal and had beer there. And yes, people might have had too many beers on occasion and people generally in high school ā I think all of us have probably done things we look back on in high school and regret or cringe a bit, but thatās not what weāre talking about.
Weāre talking about an allegation of sexual assault. Iāve never sexually assaulted anyone. I did not have sexual intercourse or anything close to sexual intercourse in high school or for many years there after. And the girls from the schools I went to and I were friends —
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: So youāre saying that through all these years that are in question, you were a virgin?
Brett Kavanaugh: Thatās correct.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: Never had sexual intercourse with anyone in high school ā
Brett Kavanaugh: Correct.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: ā and through what years in college since weāre probing into your personally life here?
Brett Kavanaugh: Many years after. Iāll leave it at that. Many years after. And the people I went to high school with, the girls and the boys, now men and women, that I went to high school with, you know, I was good friends with them and we remain good friends. Thatās how 65 people on a moments notice ā 65 women ā 220 people total, men and women who knew me in high school.
I will say fair process, let me be heard, fair process here from both sides, and listen to me and the facts Iāve described and listen to the people who have known me throughout my life, the men and women, the women whoāve known me throughout my life whoāve known me best.
And in my job as a judge for 12 years Iāve been promoting womenās equality. There was a problem with women law clerks getting hired at the Supreme Court. I am the leading federal judge in the country ā the leader in the entire country of promoting women law clerks to get Supreme Court clerkships. For the last seven years, Iāve been coaching girlās basketball. Ask the moms.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: So what do you think is happening? Whatās happening?
Brett Kavanaugh: I donāt know, but I want a fair process where I can defend my integrity. And I know Iām telling the truth. I know my life-long record, and Iām not going to let false accusations drive me out of this process. I have faith in God, and I have faith in the fairness of the American people. Americaās about fairness and hearing from both sides. And I didnāt do this or anything resembling this. This is wrong.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: Sir, you are going to be pressed on something that you just said about people do things in high school, and you were all drinking, were there times when perhaps you drank so much ā was there ever a time that you drank so much that you couldnāt remember what happened the night before?
Brett Kavanaugh: No, that never happened.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: You never said to anyone, āI donāt remember anything about last night.
Brett Kavanaugh: No, that did not happen.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: Did you ever have any sense that any kind of ā the description of the behavior that I just described with these women being taken into rooms and raped or having sex with a number of men consensual or otherwise that that was going on at the parties that you were at?
Brett Kavanaugh: I never saw any such thing, any such thing. I certainly never participated in any such thing — but I never saw or heard of any such thing. And we were ā I was focused on trying to be number one in my class and being captain of the varsity basketball team and doing my service projects, going to church.
The vast majority of the time I spent in high school was studying or focused on sports and being a good friend to the boys and the girls that I was friends with. We have these great, life-long friendships that are fantastic, and supporting each other through the ups and downs of life, and, you know, theyāre an awesome group of people.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: Do you believe there should be an FBI investigation into these allegations and that a pause should happen and, you know, sort it all out? If thereās nothing to worry about and nothing to hide, why not have that process, Ashley? And then Iāll ask you that, Brett.
Brett Kavanaugh: I mean, Iāve said all along and Ashley, too, I want to be heard. I was first interviewed last Monday, the day after the allegation appeared by the committee staff under penalty of felony, and I denied this categorically and unequivocally and I said twice during that, I said, āI want a hearing tomorrow,ā last Tuesday, a week ago.
I want an opportunity ā a fair process. Americaās about fairness, I want a fair process where I can defend my integrity and clear my name as quickly as I can in whatever forum the Senate deems appropriate.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: When you hear senators who are on the committee ā Senator Mazie Hirono and then you hear from others, you know, the New York Senator Gillibrand, she says, āI believe this woman. I believe all of them. Theyāre credible, and we all have to believe them.ā
When you hear United States Senators who are making judgments, final judgments, what does that make you think about the presumption of innocence in this country?
Brett Kavanaugh: In America, we have fairness. We hear from both sides. Iāve spent my life in the judiciary, the ā our judicial system, and part of the judicial systems as Iāve said during my first ā my hearing was process protectium (ph). Thatās what judges believe thatās what our system was built on, the rule of law, about fair process.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: Do you feel unprotected by the process?
Brett Kavanaugh: Fair process means hearing from both sides, and I think the process ā I want to have an opportunity to defend my integrity and clear my name and have a fair process. A fair process at a minimum ā at a bare minimum requires hearing from both sides before rushing ā
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: Right. Let me ask you this. Separately from these allegations, is it fair to judge someone on something they did before they were 18-years-old? When they were 17-years-old, should anything they did then follow them later in life or should it enter into any decisions made about them later in life?
Brett Kavanaugh: What Iām here to do is tell you the truth, and this allegation from 36 years ago is not ā
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: But separately from what youāre being accused of just as a judge, if you were looking at this case as a part of what youāre going through and someone said, āThis person did that at 17-years-old,ā is it fair to judge them on something that when theyāre in their 50s, 60s year old?
Brett Kavanaugh: I think everyone is judged on their whole life. Iām a good person. Iāve led a good life. Iāve tried to a lot of good for a lot of people. I am not perfect, I know that. None of us is perfect. Iām not perfect, but Iāve never, never done anything like this.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: So in terms of the process now and what happens now, when you look at how all of this — where all this generated from, do you have thoughts? Is this about Roe v. Wade? Is this about people who initially right off the bat, said they wanted to see you never take the spot on the Supreme Court? Whereās all this coming from?
Brett Kavanaugh: I just want a fair process where I can be heard.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: You donāt have any thoughts on whatās ā where this is coming from?
Brett Kavanaugh: I just want a fair process where I can be heard, defend my integrity, defend the integrity of my family. Iāve ā Iām telling the truth.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: You donāt want to talk about where you think this is coming from?
Brett Kavanaugh: I just want an opportunity, a fair process where I can defend my integrity.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: Did you guys ever look at each other and say āIām out, this is enough. This just isnāt worth itā?
Brett Kavanaugh: Iām not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process. And weāre looking for a fair process where I can be heard and defend the — my integrity, my life long record ā my life long record of promoting dignity and equality, starting with the woman who knew me when I was 14 years old. Iām not going anywhere.
Martha MacCallum to Brett Kavanaugh: Do you believe that President Trump is going to stand by you through out?
Brett Kavanaugh: I know heās going to stand by me. He called me this afternoon, and he said heās standing by me.
Source: The Daily Wire