Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh admitted Thursday he may have gotten “too emotional” in his testimony last week before a Senate committee.
In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal published Thursday night, Kavanaugh expressed regret for his tone, and vowed to be a fair and “even-keeled” justice if confirmed to the high court.
“I was very emotional last Thursday, more so than I have ever been. I might have been too emotional at times. I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a few things I should not have said.” Brett Kavanaugh
Kavanaugh wrote that his testimony “reflected my overwhelming frustration” at the sexual-assault allegations raised against him by Christine Blasey Ford and others, and “reflected my deep distress at the unfairness of how this allegation has been handled.”
Kavanaugh has strongly denied the allegations, and the Senate is expected to take a procedural vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation early Friday morning. A full confirmation vote may come as soon as Saturday.
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Aside from the sexual-assault accusations, a number of Democratic senators have expressed concern over Kavanaugh’s temperament and potential political bias, after he claimed during the hearing that the allegations were a political hit, fueled by “revenge on behalf of the Clintons and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups.”
Also see: Democrats rip FBI Kavanaugh probe as ‘incomplete’ as Grassley says no misconduct found
In his op-ed, Kavanaugh attempted to ease those fears.
“As a judge, I have always treated colleagues and litigants with the utmost respect. I have been known for my courtesy on and off the bench. I have not changed,” he wrote.
“I revere the Constitution. I believe that an independent and impartial judiciary is essential to our constitutional republic. If confirmed by the Senate to serve on the Supreme Court, I will keep an open mind in every case and always strive to preserve the Constitution of the United States and the American rule of law.”
