1 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,266 JUDY WOODRUFF: Christine Blasey Ford's allegation has scrambled the picture for senators considering 2 00:00:07,300 --> 00:00:10,033 whether Kavanaugh is fit to join the highest court in the land and for the White House, 3 00:00:10,033 --> 00:00:13,100 who sees this nomination as a key priority. 4 00:00:13,100 --> 00:00:17,633 We cover both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue now with Lisa Desjardins, who continues her 5 00:00:17,633 --> 00:00:22,633 reporting from Capitol Hill, and Yamiche Alcindor, who's been tracking developments at the White 6 00:00:23,100 --> 00:00:24,300 House. 7 00:00:24,300 --> 00:00:26,366 Lisa, we just heard your reporting. 8 00:00:26,366 --> 00:00:30,233 And in the last few minutes, we have heard senators are now confirming a public hearing 9 00:00:30,833 --> 00:00:31,633 next week. 10 00:00:31,633 --> 00:00:32,566 What do you know? 11 00:00:32,566 --> 00:00:35,200 LISA DESJARDINS: That's right. 12 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:37,766 We can confirm that the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on this exact matter 13 00:00:37,766 --> 00:00:39,033 next week. 14 00:00:39,033 --> 00:00:41,000 We have confirmed it will be within a week. 15 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:43,100 Others are reporting it will be on Monday. 16 00:00:43,100 --> 00:00:46,800 The reason we're finding out now, Judy, is because Republican members of the Judiciary 17 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:51,133 Committee are just walking out of Senator McConnell's office after meeting together 18 00:00:51,133 --> 00:00:55,433 to figure out their plan and after, we're told, having a phone call with Brett Kavanaugh 19 00:00:55,433 --> 00:00:56,900 himself. 20 00:00:56,900 --> 00:00:58,766 This is not something every Republican agrees on. 21 00:00:58,766 --> 00:01:02,300 Some think that an open hearing could be a show trial by Democrats. 22 00:01:02,300 --> 00:01:06,433 But others have won that argument and say, let's put this out in the public and do it 23 00:01:06,433 --> 00:01:08,400 soon. 24 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:11,033 JUDY WOODRUFF: Now, Yamiche, you have been talking to people at the White House all day 25 00:01:11,033 --> 00:01:13,033 long. 26 00:01:13,033 --> 00:01:17,033 The president obviously standing by Judge Kavanaugh, but at the same time saying he 27 00:01:17,766 --> 00:01:19,433 wants this story out. 28 00:01:19,433 --> 00:01:21,533 So how do you explain his thinking, their thinking right now? 29 00:01:21,533 --> 00:01:25,133 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, the president is really trying to be reserved, but is also deeply 30 00:01:25,133 --> 00:01:28,500 frustrated at the fact that this nomination is now being hampered. 31 00:01:28,500 --> 00:01:30,966 He said that he praised Judge Kavanaugh today. 32 00:01:30,966 --> 00:01:33,166 He said that he was a great judicial mind. 33 00:01:33,166 --> 00:01:35,800 But he also said that everyone should be heard in this instance. 34 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:39,633 And that's very in some ways uncharacteristic for this president, because there are times 35 00:01:39,633 --> 00:01:42,200 where he lashes out when he gets angry and tweets about Democrats. 36 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:44,833 He hasn't -- he hasn't at all attacked the accuser. 37 00:01:44,833 --> 00:01:48,166 Instead, he said that he's sticking by Judge Kavanaugh, but wants to know more. 38 00:01:48,166 --> 00:01:52,300 Judge Kavanaugh just a few minutes ago released a statement saying that he was happy to speak 39 00:01:52,300 --> 00:01:54,766 before a hearing, that he wanted to clear his name. 40 00:01:54,766 --> 00:01:58,333 All that is happening, but the president still says that this nomination is on track. 41 00:01:58,333 --> 00:02:00,300 There are a lot of Republicans who disagree. 42 00:02:00,300 --> 00:02:02,533 JUDY WOODRUFF: And back to you, Lisa. 43 00:02:02,533 --> 00:02:07,333 You have been talking to a number of senators one by one, especially the ones who haven't 44 00:02:07,333 --> 00:02:09,533 announced yet what they're going to do on Kavanaugh. 45 00:02:09,533 --> 00:02:11,133 What are they now saying? 46 00:02:11,133 --> 00:02:13,100 What sense are you getting? 47 00:02:13,100 --> 00:02:15,633 LISA DESJARDINS: I think, by and large, those undecided senators -- we're talking about 48 00:02:15,633 --> 00:02:20,166 Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski especially on the Republican side -- have said that they 49 00:02:20,166 --> 00:02:25,166 do want to hear more under oath from both Brett Kavanaugh and from his accuser, Ms. 50 00:02:25,933 --> 00:02:27,400 Ford. 51 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,000 It looks like they're going to get that opportunity. 52 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,166 And I think we have to pay attention especially to what the format of this hearing is precisely, 53 00:02:33,166 --> 00:02:35,266 who speaks. 54 00:02:35,266 --> 00:02:38,766 Both sides right now are trying to gather corroborating evidence for both of these individuals 55 00:02:38,766 --> 00:02:40,833 who are concerned. 56 00:02:40,833 --> 00:02:43,666 But, also, Mr. Kavanaugh is saying things in private to senators that I think is going 57 00:02:43,666 --> 00:02:45,700 to be important. 58 00:02:45,700 --> 00:02:49,366 Senator Orrin Hatch, Republican close to the White House, told me and other reporters today 59 00:02:49,366 --> 00:02:54,333 that in a phone call with Brett Kavanaugh, Kavanaugh insisted not only did this never 60 00:02:55,533 --> 00:02:57,800 happen, but he said he was never at this party. 61 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,700 And that is something is unclear, how would he know because the details of this party 62 00:03:01,700 --> 00:03:03,800 are vague in and of themselves? 63 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:08,366 In addition, there's questions about, if he was inebriated, how did he know that he wasn't 64 00:03:08,366 --> 00:03:10,400 there? 65 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,366 So the details -- he is being very firm that this story is not remotely like anything that 66 00:03:15,100 --> 00:03:17,200 ever happened to him. 67 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:19,966 However, he's telling senators more details in private that I think will indicate -- we're 68 00:03:19,966 --> 00:03:24,033 going to hear a lot more in the hearing and his story will be tested, as well his accuser's. 69 00:03:24,033 --> 00:03:28,466 JUDY WOODRUFF: And just very quickly, finally, Yamiche, the White House,no question they 70 00:03:28,466 --> 00:03:30,400 know the political stakes involved here. 71 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:34,466 YAMICHE ALCINDOR: They absolutely understand the political stakes involved here. 72 00:03:34,466 --> 00:03:37,266 Brett Kavanaugh spent several hours at the White House today. 73 00:03:37,266 --> 00:03:39,533 Sources wouldn't say who he was meeting with. 74 00:03:39,533 --> 00:03:42,166 President Trump said he hadn't spoken directly with Brett Kavanaugh. 75 00:03:42,166 --> 00:03:45,966 But we do know that there are at least $2 million dollars in political ads. 76 00:03:45,966 --> 00:03:48,066 On the left, there's a group called We Demand Justice. 77 00:03:48,066 --> 00:03:53,066 It's an anti-Kavanaugh group that said it's going to spend more than $700,000 on ads fighting 78 00:03:53,966 --> 00:03:55,933 this -- fighting his nomination. 79 00:03:55,933 --> 00:03:58,966 But the Judicial Crisis Network, which is a group of conservatives, say that they're 80 00:03:58,966 --> 00:04:03,300 going to put $1.5 million behind defending Brett Kavanaugh. 81 00:04:03,300 --> 00:04:05,500 So there's a lot of money and a lot at stake. 82 00:04:05,500 --> 00:04:09,433 JUDY WOODRUFF: Yamiche Alcindor at the White House, Lisa Desjardins at the Capitol, we 83 00:04:09,433 --> 00:04:10,266 thank you both.