Former Secretary of State John Kerry called the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and his accuser Christine Blasey Ford a “disgrace.”
He particularly didn’t like how the GOP majority did not force Mark Judge, Kavanaugh’s friend who Ford claims was in the room when she alleges Kavanaugh forced himself on her at a 1980s Maryland house party, to testify.
Kerry delved into the question of “What’s the matter with us?” during a sit-down interview at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, talking about how “we’re all angry” with the result of the 2016 election.
“But this Washington is completely dysfunctional,” he continued. “I don’t know how many of you watched today, but that was sad. That was really sad.”
He went on to decry Judge’s absence.
“How you could possibly have a vote on a lifetime appointment for the Supreme Court of the United States when someone has said there was a person in the room with me when this terrible thing happened — and they don’t even talk to him and call him to be a witness,” he said.
“That’s a disgrace — it’s wrong,” he said, adding, “Everybody sees that the fix is in.”
.@JohnKerry called the #KavanaughHearing today “sad” and a “disgrace.” Watch the full conversation online here: https://t.co/5MepRi1WTm #TribFest18 pic.twitter.com/zt2ClyAtt1
— Bobby Blanchard (@bobbycblanchard) September 28, 2018
Both Ford and Kavanaugh testified on Capitol Hill on Thursday. Judge was not called to appear and has stated that he does not recall the alleged incident happening.
Kavanaugh denies that he sexually assaulted Ford, and in his opening remarks Thursday scolded Democrats for attempting a “search and destroy” effort against him.
After the hearing wrapped up, the Senate Judiciary Committee decided that it would proceed with vote Friday on Kavanaugh, setting up a Saturday procedural vote by the full Senate and a final confirmation vote by Tuesday.
