THIS
THIS WOMAN WHO CAME FORWARD, CLEARLY TRAUMATIZED, CLEARLY
EMOTIONAL AS SHE RELATES THIS
STORY, ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO
STAND ON THE SENATE FLOOR AND
SAY I DON'T BELIEVE HER, I
4@
SAY I DON'T BELIEVE HER, I BELIEVE HIM?
BELIEVE HIM? WE HAVE TO HEAR FROM HIM FIRST.
THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS GOING
THROUGH PEOPLE'S MINDS.
I CAN TELL YOU THERE'S ALR4@EAD
TREPIDATION ABOUT JUDGE
KAVANAUGH HEADING INTO THIS
HEARING AND STANDING HERE HAVING
THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE HEARD AT
HEARING AND STANDING HERE HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE HEARD A@
LEAST A LITTLE BIT FROM HER.4@
I THINK THAT AT THIS POINT, IT
IS INCREASING, NOT DECREASING. @
>> GOOD PERSPECTIVE.
NONE OF THIS IS EASY.
IT'S ABOUT LISTENING.
THEY'RE IN A BREAK RIGHT NOW.
WE'LL COME BACK AND CONTINUE TO
LISTEN.
LISTEN.
LISTEN. >> AS A REMINDER, WE'VE ALL
WATCHED ONE PIECE OF THIS.
WE'VE 4@WATCHED AN OPENING
STATEMENT AND INTRODUCTORY
QUESTIONING OF THE WITNESS.
THERE'S A JUDGMENT AS TO THAT.
HIS CREDIBILITY AND HIS DEMEANOR
WILL BE-SIZED UP AS WELL.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE JUST JOINING
AND PERHAPS MISSED IT, CHRISTINE
BLASEY FORD GAVE A PREPARED
OPENING STATEMENT, ONE WE'RE 4@
TOLD SHE WROTE HERSELF.
TOOK ABOUT 20 MINUTES.
WE WANTED TO PLAY YOU A PORTION
OF IT.
OF IT.
OF IT. >>
OF IT. >> WHEN I GOT TO THE SMALL
GATHERING, PEOPLE WERE DRINKING
BEER IN A SMALL LIVING ROOM,
FAMILY ROOM TYPE AREA ON THE
FIRST FLOOR OF THE HOUSE.
I DRANK ONE BEER.4@
4@BRETT AND MARK WERE VISIBLY
DRUNK.
DRUNK.
DRUNK. EARLY IN THE EVENING, I WENT UP
A VERY NARROW SET OF STAIRS
LEADING FROM THE LIVING ROOM TO
A SECOND FLOOR TO USE THE
RESTROOM.4@
RESTROOM.4@ WHEN I GOT TO THE TOP OF THE
STAIRS, I WAS PUSHED FROM BEHIND
INTO A BEDROOM ACROSS FROM THE
BATHROOM.
BATHROOM.
BATHROOM. I COULDN'T SEE WHO PUSHED ME.
BRETT AND MARK CAME INTO THE 4@
BEDROOM AND LOCKED THE DOOR
BEHIND THEM.4@
BEHIND THEM.4@ 4@
BEHIND THEM.4@ THERE WAS MUSIC PLAYING IN THE
BEDROOM.
BEDROOM.
BEDROOM. IT WAS TURNED UP LOUDER BY
EITHER BRETT OR MARK ONCE WE
WERE IN THE ROOM.
I WAS PUSHED ON TO THE BED, THEN
BRETT GOT ON TOP OF ME.
HE BEGAN RUNNING HIS HANDS OVER
MY BODY AND GRINDING INTO ME.
I YELLED HOPING THAT SOMEONE
DOWNSTAIRS MIGHT HEAR ME.4@
AND I TRIED TO GET AWAY FROM
HIM, BUT HIS WEIGHT WAS HEAVY.
GROPED ME AND TRIED TO TAKE OFF
MY CLOTHES.
MY CLOTHES. HE HAD A HARD TIME BECAUSE HE
WAS VERY INEBRIATED AND BECAUSE
I WAS WEARING A ONE PIECE 4@
BATHING SUIT UNDERNEATH MY
CLOTHING.4@
CLOTHING.4@ I BELIEVED HE WAS GOING TO RAPE
ME.
ME.
ME. I
ME. I TRIED TO YELL FOR HELP.
WHEN I DID, BRETT PUT HIS HAND
OVER MY MOUTH TO STOP ME FROM
YELLING.4@
YELLING.4@ THIS IS WHAT TERRIFIED ME THE
MOST AND HAS HAD THE MOST
LASTING IMPACT ON MY LIFE.
IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO BREATHE 4@
AND I THOUGHT THAT BRETT WAS
ACCIDENTALLY GOING TO KILL ME.4@
BOTH BRETT AND MARK WERE
DRUNKENLY LAUGHING DURING THE
ATTACK.
ATTACK.
ATTACK. THEY SEEMED TO BE HAVING A VERY
GO4@OD TIME.
GO4@OD TIME. MARK SEEMED AMBIVALENT, AT TIMES
URGING BRETT ON AND AT T4@IMES
TELLING HIM TO STOP.4@
A COUPLE OF TIMES I MADE EY
TELLING HIM TO STOP.4@ A COUPLE OF TIMES I MADE ICO
TELLING HIM TO STOP.4@ A COUPLE OF TIMES I MADE EYE
CONTACT WITH MARK AND THOUGHT H@
MIGHT TRY TO HELP ME.4@
BUT HE DID NOT.4@
DURING THIS ASSAULT, MARK CAME
OVER AND JUMPED ON THE BED TWIC@
WHILE BRETT WAS ON TOP OF ME.
THE LAST TIME THAT HE DID THIS,
WE TOPPLED OVER AND BRETT WAS NO
LONGER ON TOP OF ME.
I WAS ABLE TO GET UP AND RUN OUT
OF THE ROOM.
DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE BEDROOM
WAS A SMALL BATHROOM.4@
I RAN INSIDE THE BATHROOM AND
LOCKED THE DOOR.
I WAITED UNTIL I HEARD BRETT AND
MARK LEAVE THE BEDROOM LAUGHING
I WAITED UNTIL I HEARD BRETT AND MARK LEAVE THE BEDROOM LAUGHING@
AND LOUDLY WALKED DOWN THE
NARROW STAIRWAY PINBALLING OFF
THE WALLS ON THE WAY DOWN.
I WAITED AND WHEN I DID NOT HEAR
THEM COME BACK UP THE STAIRS, I
I WAITED AND WHEN I DID NOT HEAR THEM COME BACK UP THE STAIRS, I@
4@
THEM COME BACK UP THE STAIRS, I@ LE4@FT THE BATHROOM, WENT DOWN E
SAME STAIRWELL THROUGH THE
LIVING ROOM AND LEFT THE HOUSE.
I REMEMBER BEING ON THE STREET
AND FEELING AN ENORMOUS SENSE OF
RELIEF THAT I ESCAPED THAT HOUSE
AND THAT BRETT AND MARK WERE NOT
COMING OUTSIDE AFTER ME.
>> THAT WAS CHRISTINE BLASEY
FORD IN SOME OF HER PREPARED
OPENING REMARKS TODAY DESCRIBING
THE WAY IT -- HEARING FOR THE
FIRST TIME FROM HER VOICE.
>> NOW, OF COURSE, WE'LL HEAR
THE CONTINUING OF THE
QUESTIONING.
QUESTIONING. I GET THE FEELING THAT RACHEL
MITCHELL, THE PROSECUTOR WHO WAS
HIRED BY REPUBLICANS HASN'T EVEN
GOTTEN PAST THE INTRODUCTIONS AT
THIS POINT. 4@
>> ONE WAY OR ANOTHER -- IT
FEELS LIKE THE WAY A LAWYER
WOULD PREPARE A WITNESS.
YOU WOULD START WITH SOME 4@
PREDICATE THINGS AND GET SOME
STUFF OUT OF THE WAY AND IT
WOULD LEAD UP TO SOMEWHERE.
IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHERE IT'S
LEADING BECAUSE IT'S INTERRUPTED
EVERY FIVE MINUTES.
>> SO FAR SHE'S NOT LAID A GLOVE
ON CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD.
>> MAYBE SHE'S BUILDING UP TO
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> SHE IS A PROSECUTOR BY TRADE.
THE QUESTION IS SHE ACTING IN
THAT ROLE HERE NOW?
>> LOOK, I WOULD JUST SAY, I GET
THE POLITICAL DECISION THAT THEY
MADE.
MADE.
MADE. THEY DID NOT WANT CHUCK