Brett Kavanaugh denies sexual assault allegations in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Donald Trump whole-heartedly backed Brett Kavanaugh, whose Supreme Court nomination will be put to an initial vote Friday, after a dramatic Senate hearing that saw him furiously fight back against sexual assault allegations dating back decades ago.
America watched transfixed as the gripping day-long hearing opened with Christine Blasey Ford, 51, recounting to a packed room the harrowing details of what she said was an attempted rape by Kavanaugh 36 years ago.
In a passionate defense, the 53-year-old conservative judge insisted before the Senate Judiciary Committee that it never happened, accused Democrats of destroying his reputation and condemned his confirmation battle as a "national disgrace" and a "circus."
"Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him," the president tweeted just minutes after the close of the hearing.
"His testimony was powerful, honest and riveting," Trump said. "Democrats' search and destroy strategy is disgraceful and this process has been a total sham and effort to delay, obstruct and resist. The Senate must vote!"
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Trump would get his wish, with the Judiciary Committee -- which has 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats -- set to vote on its recommendation Friday before the nomination goes to the full Senate, where Republicans hold a slim 51-49 edge.
"We're going to vote in the morning and we're going to move forward," McConnell told journalists.
The allegations against Kavanaugh by Blasey Ford, a psychology professor in California, have threatened to derail Trump's bid to tilt the nation's highest court to the right for years to come.
They come against a backdrop of the #MeToo movement and the hearing included sharp exchanges between Republicans and Democrats mirroring the atmosphere of bitter political partisanship in Washington.