WEBVTT 00:02.600 --> 00:05.266 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Christine Blasey Ford's allegation has scrambled the picture for senators considering 00:07.300 --> 00:10.033 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% whether Kavanaugh is fit to join the highest court in the land and for the White House, 00:10.033 --> 00:13.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% who sees this nomination as a key priority. 00:13.100 --> 00:17.633 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% We cover both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue now with Lisa Desjardins, who continues her 00:17.633 --> 00:22.633 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% reporting from Capitol Hill, and Yamiche Alcindor, who's been tracking developments at the White 00:23.100 --> 00:24.300 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% House. 00:24.300 --> 00:26.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Lisa, we just heard your reporting. 00:26.366 --> 00:30.233 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And in the last few minutes, we have heard senators are now confirming a public hearing 00:30.833 --> 00:31.633 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% next week. 00:31.633 --> 00:32.566 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% What do you know? 00:32.566 --> 00:35.200 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: That's right. 00:35.200 --> 00:37.766 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% We can confirm that the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on this exact matter 00:37.766 --> 00:39.033 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% next week. 00:39.033 --> 00:41.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% We have confirmed it will be within a week. 00:41.000 --> 00:43.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Others are reporting it will be on Monday. 00:43.100 --> 00:46.800 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% The reason we're finding out now, Judy, is because Republican members of the Judiciary 00:46.800 --> 00:51.133 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Committee are just walking out of Senator McConnell's office after meeting together 00:51.133 --> 00:55.433 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% to figure out their plan and after, we're told, having a phone call with Brett Kavanaugh 00:55.433 --> 00:56.900 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% himself. 00:56.900 --> 00:58.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% This is not something every Republican agrees on. 00:58.766 --> 01:02.300 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% Some think that an open hearing could be a show trial by Democrats. 01:02.300 --> 01:06.433 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% But others have won that argument and say, let's put this out in the public and do it 01:06.433 --> 01:08.400 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% soon. 01:08.400 --> 01:11.033 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Now, Yamiche, you have been talking to people at the White House all day 01:11.033 --> 01:13.033 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% long. 01:13.033 --> 01:17.033 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% The president obviously standing by Judge Kavanaugh, but at the same time saying he 01:17.766 --> 01:19.433 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% wants this story out. 01:19.433 --> 01:21.533 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% So how do you explain his thinking, their thinking right now? 01:21.533 --> 01:25.133 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, the president is really trying to be reserved, but is also deeply 01:25.133 --> 01:28.500 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% frustrated at the fact that this nomination is now being hampered. 01:28.500 --> 01:30.966 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% He said that he praised Judge Kavanaugh today. 01:30.966 --> 01:33.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% He said that he was a great judicial mind. 01:33.166 --> 01:35.800 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% But he also said that everyone should be heard in this instance. 01:35.800 --> 01:39.633 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% And that's very in some ways uncharacteristic for this president, because there are times 01:39.633 --> 01:42.200 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% where he lashes out when he gets angry and tweets about Democrats. 01:42.200 --> 01:44.833 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% He hasn't -- he hasn't at all attacked the accuser. 01:44.833 --> 01:48.166 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Instead, he said that he's sticking by Judge Kavanaugh, but wants to know more. 01:48.166 --> 01:52.300 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% Judge Kavanaugh just a few minutes ago released a statement saying that he was happy to speak 01:52.300 --> 01:54.766 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% before a hearing, that he wanted to clear his name. 01:54.766 --> 01:58.333 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% All that is happening, but the president still says that this nomination is on track. 01:58.333 --> 02:00.300 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% There are a lot of Republicans who disagree. 02:00.300 --> 02:02.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% JUDY WOODRUFF: And back to you, Lisa. 02:02.533 --> 02:07.333 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% You have been talking to a number of senators one by one, especially the ones who haven't 02:07.333 --> 02:09.533 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% announced yet what they're going to do on Kavanaugh. 02:09.533 --> 02:11.133 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% What are they now saying? 02:11.133 --> 02:13.100 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% What sense are you getting? 02:13.100 --> 02:15.633 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: I think, by and large, those undecided senators -- we're talking about 02:15.633 --> 02:20.166 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski especially on the Republican side -- have said that they 02:20.166 --> 02:25.166 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% do want to hear more under oath from both Brett Kavanaugh and from his accuser, Ms. 02:25.933 --> 02:27.400 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% Ford. 02:27.400 --> 02:30.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It looks like they're going to get that opportunity. 02:30.000 --> 02:33.166 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% And I think we have to pay attention especially to what the format of this hearing is precisely, 02:33.166 --> 02:35.266 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% who speaks. 02:35.266 --> 02:38.766 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Both sides right now are trying to gather corroborating evidence for both of these individuals 02:38.766 --> 02:40.833 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% who are concerned. 02:40.833 --> 02:43.666 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% But, also, Mr. Kavanaugh is saying things in private to senators that I think is going 02:43.666 --> 02:45.700 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% to be important. 02:45.700 --> 02:49.366 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Senator Orrin Hatch, Republican close to the White House, told me and other reporters today 02:49.366 --> 02:54.333 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% that in a phone call with Brett Kavanaugh, Kavanaugh insisted not only did this never 02:55.533 --> 02:57.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% happen, but he said he was never at this party. 02:57.800 --> 03:01.700 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% And that is something is unclear, how would he know because the details of this party 03:01.700 --> 03:03.800 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% are vague in and of themselves? 03:03.800 --> 03:08.366 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% In addition, there's questions about, if he was inebriated, how did he know that he wasn't 03:08.366 --> 03:10.400 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% there? 03:10.400 --> 03:14.366 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% So the details -- he is being very firm that this story is not remotely like anything that 03:15.100 --> 03:17.200 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% ever happened to him. 03:17.200 --> 03:19.966 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% However, he's telling senators more details in private that I think will indicate -- we're 03:19.966 --> 03:24.033 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% going to hear a lot more in the hearing and his story will be tested, as well his accuser's. 03:24.033 --> 03:28.466 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: And just very quickly, finally, Yamiche, the White House,no question they 03:28.466 --> 03:30.400 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% know the political stakes involved here. 03:30.400 --> 03:34.466 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: They absolutely understand the political stakes involved here. 03:34.466 --> 03:37.266 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Brett Kavanaugh spent several hours at the White House today. 03:37.266 --> 03:39.533 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Sources wouldn't say who he was meeting with. 03:39.533 --> 03:42.166 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% President Trump said he hadn't spoken directly with Brett Kavanaugh. 03:42.166 --> 03:45.966 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% But we do know that there are at least $2 million dollars in political ads. 03:45.966 --> 03:48.066 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% On the left, there's a group called We Demand Justice. 03:48.066 --> 03:53.066 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% It's an anti-Kavanaugh group that said it's going to spend more than $700,000 on ads fighting 03:53.966 --> 03:55.933 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% this -- fighting his nomination. 03:55.933 --> 03:58.966 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% But the Judicial Crisis Network, which is a group of conservatives, say that they're 03:58.966 --> 04:03.300 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% going to put $1.5 million behind defending Brett Kavanaugh. 04:03.300 --> 04:05.500 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So there's a lot of money and a lot at stake. 04:05.500 --> 04:09.433 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Yamiche Alcindor at the White House, Lisa Desjardins at the Capitol, we 04:09.433 --> 04:10.266 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% thank you both.