Poll Shows Americans Want Kavanaugh Confirmed If Cleared by FBI
According to a weekend poll, 60 percent of Americans want Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh confirmed if the FBI finds no corroborating evidence concerning sexual misconduct allegations against him stemming from the early 1980s.
A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll of 1,330 registered voters released over the weekend determined that 40 percent found sexual assault accuser Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony “credible,” while 27 percent found both Ford and Kavanaugh credible.
Additionally, 23 percent of respondents found only Kavanaugh’s testimony credible.
Following the last week’s hearing, only 37 percent of those polled wanted the nominee to be confirmed, while 44 percent said he should not be confirmed and 18 percent remained undecided.
“But the credibility of their testimony does not appear to be the decisive factor,” opinion contributor Mark Penn wrote for The Hill. “Rather, the question comes down to corroboration as the standard for tipping public opinion on whether Kavanaugh should ascend to the high court.”
Penn noted that once respondents were informed “that the named witnesses deny any knowledge of the allegation, (the 37 percent support) shifts to 57 percent who favor confirmation.”
That number moves up higher to 60 percent when those surveyed were asked about their support of Kavanaugh if the FBI investigation fails to find corroborating evidence he engaged in sexual misconduct.
Seventy-five percent believe Sen. Dianne Feinstein “should have turned over Ford’s letter months earlier so that this debacle might have been avoided.”
A strong majority, 69 percent, agree with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Kavanaugh that the proceedings before the Senate Judiciary Committee have “been a national disgrace.”
Finally, 63 percent said that they believe Kavanaugh will ultimately be confirmed to the Supreme Court.
The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the FBI has completed its interview of Kavanaugh’s high school friend Mark Judge.
Ford testified that Judge was in the room when Kavanaugh held her down on a bed and groped her while trying to take off her clothes at a house party in the summer of 1982.
Judge’s attorney, Barbara Van Gelder, told The Times in a statement that “Mr. Judge completed his F.B.I. interview. We are not commenting on the questions the F.B.I. asked Mr. Judge.”
In a letter written to the Judiciary Committee last Thursday, “under penalty of felony,” Judge said, “I do not recall the events described by Dr. Ford in her testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee today. I never saw Brett act in the manner Dr. Ford describes.”
Committee member Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who sided with Democrats last week in calling for the FBI investigation into the allegations, said he would not support a cloture vote allowing Kavanaugh’s confirmation vote to go forward until the FBI completes its report, even it takes longer than the one week time limit originally negotiated.
Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine also support the FBI investigation prior to a vote on Kavanaugh’s appointment.
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