JOHN KERRY TOMORROW ON THE BEAT. HARDBALL IS UP NEXT.
>> TO BE OR NOT TO BE, LET’S
PLAY "HARDBALL."
PLAY "HARDBALL." ♪
♪ ♪
♪ >> GOOD EVENING.
I’M CHRIS MATHEWS UP IN
PHILADELPHIA.
PHILADELPHIA. THE NOMINATION OF JUDGE BRETT
KAVANAGH PLUNGES DEEPER INTO
DANGER TONIGHT OVER AN
ALLEGATION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
THAT LEAVES HIS NOMINATION IN
MORTAL JEOPARDY.
MORTAL JEOPARDY. ACCORDING TO NBC NEWS, JUDGE
KAVANAGH SPENT THE MAJORITY OF
TODAY IN WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL DON
McGAHN AND OTHERS FROM THE
COUNSEL’S OFFICE CALLING KEY
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN A DIRECT
EFFORT OF DAMAGE CONTROL.
ACTUALLY A DESPERATE EFFORT.
AND HERE’S THE BREAKING NEWS
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
ANNOUNCED IT WILL HOLD PUBLIC
HEARINGS THIS COMING MONDAY WITH
KAVANAGH AND HIS ACCUSER
CHRISTINE BLOSEY FORD T. CAME
FROM ALL TEN DEMOCRATS ON THAT
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. CHAIRMAN CHUCK GRASSLEY
REQUESTED A DELAY SAYING THERE
ARE, QUOTE, SERIOUS QUESTIONS
ABOUT JUDGE KAVANAGH’S RECORD,
TRUTHFULNESS AND CHARACTER.
A GROWING NUMBER OF REPUBLICAN
SENATORS HAVE ALSO EXPRESSED
CONCERN OVER THE ALLEGATION AND
SAID THAT THE SENATE NEEDS TO
HEAR FROM THE ACCUSER.
THE WHITE HOUSE SAID IN A
STATEMENT TONIGHT JUDGE KAVANAGH
LOOKS FORWARD TO A HEARING WHERE
HE CAN CLEAR HIS NAME OF THIS
FALSE ALLEGATION.
FALSE ALLEGATION. >>> EARLIER IN THE DAY THE
PRESIDENT REAFFIRMED HIS SUPPORT
FOR HIS NOMINEE WITH THE
RESERVATION THAT HE, THE
PRESIDENT, WANTED MEMBERS OF THE
SENATE TO BE HAPPY WITH THE
PROCESS.
PROCESS. >> HE’S AN OUTSTANDING INTELLECT
AND OUTSTANDING JUDGE, RESPECTED
BY EVERYBODY.
BY EVERYBODY. NEVER HAD EVEN A LITTLE BLEMISH
ON HIS RECORD.
>> --
>> -- >> I DON’T KNOW.
IT DEPENDS ON THE PROCESS.
I’D LIKE SEE A COMPLETE PROCESS.
I’D LIKE EVERYBODY TO BE VERY
HAPPY.
HAPPY. IF IT TAKES A LITTLE DELAY, IT
WILL TAKE A LITTLE DELAY.
IT SHOULDN’T CERTAINLY BE VERY
MUCH.
MUCH. >> HAS HE OFFERED TO WITHDRAW?
>> NEXT QUESTION.
WHAT A RIDICULOUS QUESTIONS.
>> DO YOU THINK THIS
CONFIRMATION IS ON TRACK?
>> I THINK HE’S ON TRACK, YES.
I THINK HE’S VERY MUCH ON TRACK.
IF THEY DELAY IT A LITTLE BIT
JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IS
HAPPY, THEY WANT TO BE HAPPY.
>> IN AN EXPLOSIVE ON THE RECORD
INTERVIEW, FORD ACCUSED KAVANAGH
OF ATTACKING HER WHILE THEY WERE
BOTH IN HIGH SCHOOL.
FORD SAID SHE DECIDED TO GO
PUBLIC WITH HER STORY BECAUSE
SHE FELT LIKE HER CIVIC
RESPONSIBILITY OUTWEIGHED HER
ANGUISH AND TERROR ABOUT
RETALIATION.
RETALIATION. SHE HAD INITIALLY WRITTEN A
CONFIDENTIAL LETTER TO HER
CONGRESSWOMAN ANNA ESHU AND
DIANNE FEINSTEIN IN JULY BUT
DECLINED TO GO PUBLIC FOR FEAR
OF RETRIBUTION.
OF RETRIBUTION. IN AN EXTENSIVE INTERVIEW WITH
THE WASHINGTON POST FORD
RECOUNTS IN DETAIL EVENTS THAT
HAPPENED ROUGHLY 30 YEARS AGO.
FORD ALLEGED THAT WHILE IN HIGH
SCHOOL, KAVANAGH AND A FRIEND
BOTH, QUOTE, STUMBLING DRUNK,
STUMBLING DRUNK, CORRALLED HER
INTO A BEDROOM WHERE SHE SAID
KAVANAGH PINNED HER TO A BED AND
GROPED HER OVER HER CLOTHES,
CLUMSILY ATTEMPTING TO PULL OFF
HER BATHING SUIT.
HE MIGHT INADVERTENTLY KILL ME.
HE PUT HIS HAND OVER HER MOUTH
SO SHE COULDN’T SCREAM.
FORD SAID SHE TOLD NO ONE ABOUT
THE INCIDENT IN ANY DETAIL UNTIL
2012, THAT’S SIX YEARS AGO
DURING COUPLES THERAPY WITH HER
HUSBAND.
HUSBAND. SHE ALSO TOLD HER HUSBAND
OBVIOUSLY AT THAT TIME.
THE THERAPIST PROVIDED NOTES TO
THE WASHINGTON POST IN SUPPORT
OF HER CLAIMS.
NBC NEWS HAS NOT SPOKEN TO IN
ORDER NOR SEEN THE LETTER SHE
WROTE.
WROTE. THIS MORNING HER LAWYER TOLD NBC
THAT SHE IS WILLING TO TESTIFY
UNDER OATH.
UNDER OATH. >> MS. KATZ, IS YOUR CLIENT
WILLING TO TESTIFY ABOUT THE THE
JUDICIALERY COMMITTEE PUBLICLY
AND TELL THIS STORY?
>> SHE IS.
SHE’S WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT
TAKES TO GET HER STORY FORTH,
YES.
YES. >> WELL, SHE’S ALREADY TAKEN A
LIE DETECTOR TEST ADMINISTERED
BY A FORMER FBI AGENT.
BRETT KAVANAGH REFUSED TO ANSWER
ANY QUESTIONS FROM REPORTERS ON
HIS WAY TO THE WHITE HOUSE
EARLIER TODAY.
EARLIER TODAY. >> MR. KAVANAGH, ARE THE
ALLEGATIONS TRUE?
ALLEGATIONS TRUE? >> DO YOU HAVE ANY RESPONSE TO
CHRISTY FORD?
CHRISTY FORD? >> WILL YOU TESTIFY?
>> THE WHITE HOUSE DID PROVIDE
THIS STATEMENT ON BATCH OF JUDGE
KAVANAGH.
KAVANAGH. QUOTE, THIS IS A COMPLETELY
FALSE ALLEGATION.
FALSE ALLEGATION. I HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE
WHAT THE ACCUSER DESCRIBES TO
HER OR ANYONE.
I AM WILLING TO TALK TO THE
SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE IN
ANY WAY THE COMMITTEE DEEMS
APPROPRIATE TO REFUTE THIS FALSE
ALLEGATION.
ALLEGATION. ANYWAY, CONGRESSMAN ANNA ESHU
FROM CALIFORNIA JOINS US NOW.
CONGRESSWOMAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR JOINING US.
I’VE KNOWN YOU A LOT TIME, A LOT
OF RESPECT FOR YOU.
TELL US IN DETAIL RIGHT NOW, HOW
DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THIS
ALLEGATION?
ALLEGATION? >> MY CONSTITUENT CALLED MY
OFFICE AND ASKED TO MEET WITH
ME.
ME. IT WAS AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
AND SO AN APPOINTMENT WAS SET
UP.
UP. WHEN I RETURNED FROM WASHINGTON
THAT WEEK, I MET WITH HER WITH
DR. FORD, FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD
OF TIME.
OF TIME. I THINK ABOUT AN HOUR AND A
HALF, THE FIRST THING THAT I
THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT TO TELL
HER WAS THAT EVERYTHING THAT SHE
SPOKE ABOUT WITH ME HAD COMPLETE
PRIVACY BECAUSE THESE -- ALL OF
MY CONSTITUENTS RECEIVE THAT,
BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY
IMPORTANT THAT SHE UNDERSTAND
THAT.
THAT. SHE TOLD ME HER STORY.
I ASKED HER MANY QUESTIONS ALONG
THE WAY.
THE WAY. AND I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS
IMPORTANT, CHRIS, TO TELL HER
THAT I WAS NOT THERE TO TELL HER
WHAT TO DO, THAT SHE WAS THERE
WITH ME AND THAT I WOULD ASSIST
HER IN WHATEVER HER CHOICE WAS.
AND SO ON THE HEELS OF THAT, I
CONTACTED SENATOR FEINSTEIN
BECAUSE SHE IS THE RANKING
MEMBER OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. THIS IS WHERE THE ISSUE IS AND
WHERE IT LIES.
AND ABOUT TEN DAYS AFTER THAT,
MY CONSTITUENT WROTE A LETTER TO
SENATOR FEINSTEIN.
SENATOR FEINSTEIN. WE MADE SURE THAT THAT LETTER
WAS COMMUNICATED THE VERY DAY,
THE DATE OF THAT LETTER.
I WAS STRUCK BY MORE THAN ONE
THING.
THING. MY CONSTITUENT IS THE PROFESSOR
NEXT DOOR.
NEXT DOOR. SHE IS SOFT-SPOKEN, VERY
INTELLIGENT, VERY CONCERNED
ABOUT HER FAMILY, HER PRIVACY.
BUT THERE WAS NO QUESTION IN MY
MIND AT THE END OF OUR MEETING
THAT SHE HAD ENDURED A LOT, AND
THAT SHE CARRIED A LOT OF PAIN
BECAUSE OF WHAT SHE WAS
SUBJECTED TO.
SUBJECTED TO. >> DO YOU BELIEVE HER?
>> I TOLD HER AT THE END OF OUR
CONVERSATION THAT I BELIEVED
HER.
HER. >> AND YOU DO?
>> I DO.
>> I DO. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. TELL ME ABOUT HER PASSION, HER
FEELING, IF YOU CAN.
ARE YOU IN A CONFIDENTIAL
RELATIONSHIP WITH HER AT THIS
POINT?
POINT? SHE TOLD YOU ABOUT THE
EXPERIENCE THAT AFFECTED HER
LIFE.
LIFE. THE PART THAT GRABBED ME AND A
LOT OF PEOPLE, IT’S NOT JUST
AFTER IN A SEXUAL WAY, IT’S NOT
THAT HE WAS DRUNK, WHATEVER HE
WAS, BUT THAT HE HELD HIS HAND
OVER HER MOUTH SO SHE COULDN’T
CALL FOR HELP.
THAT REALLY STRUCK I THINK A LOT
OF PEOPLE WE TALKED TO TODAY.
>> WELL, THERE WAS NO DOUBT IN
MY MIND WHEN SHE SHARED THE
DETAILS OF WHAT HAD TAKEN
PLACE -- AND IN DETAIL, SHE HAD
DETAILED MEMORY OF IT -- THAT IT
WAS, IT WAS STILL WITH HER.
SHE WAS STILL LIVING WITH THIS.
AND OVER THE YEARS SHE, SHE KNEW
BECAUSE HIS NAME WAS IN THE
NEWSPAPERS THAT HE WAS SERVED IN
A PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION,
THAT HIS NAME WAS PLACED IN
NOMINATION FOR A JUDGESHIP, AND
THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SUCCEEDING
CHAPTERS WERE MARKED BY THE
EXPERIENCE THAT SHE HAD WITH
HIM.
HIM. AND IT WAS VERY PAINFUL FOR HER.
SO I THINK THAT SHE’S
TREMENDOUSLY COURAGEOUS.
TREMENDOUSLY COURAGEOUS. IT REALLY TAKES COURAGE TO HAVE
COURAGE.
COURAGE. AND I THINK THAT INSIDE OF HER,
SHE EXAMINED WHAT IT MEANT TO
REMAIN PRIVATE, AND ALSO WHAT IT
WOULD MEAN IF SHE CROSSED OVER
INTO THE PUBLIC SQUARE.
AND THAT TAKES A TREMENDOUS
AMOUNT OF COURAGE AND WEIGHING
THE EQUITIES ON BOTH, I THINK
SHE DECIDED OBVIOUSLY, IN THE
LAST MANY HOURS, THAT SHE WANTED
TO TELL HER STORY, THE TRUTH, TO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND NOT
HAVE IT MISCHARACTERIZED BY
ANYONE ELSE.
ANYONE ELSE. >> DID SHE THINK IT’S A MATTER
OF CURRENT CHARACTER?
DID SHE THINK THAT WHAT HE DID
TO HER, THAT SHE SAID HE DID TO
HER THOSE YEARS AGO REFLECT ON
WHO HE IS TODAY?
DID YOU GET THAT FROM HER?
>> I DON’T THINK THOSE ARE THE
WORDS THAT SHE USED.
BUT SHE WAS DEEPLY VIOLATED BY
WHAT HAPPENED.
WHAT HAPPENED. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> AND LIKE SO MANY OTHERS THAT
ARE SUBJECTED TO SEXUAL ABUSE,
THEY END UP FEELING GUILTY
THEMSELVES.
THEMSELVES. THEY FEEL ASHAMED OF WHAT
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. THEY’RE AFRAID IF ANYONE LEARNS
ABOUT IT, WHAT THEY WILL THINK
OF THEM.
OF THEM. AND THAT’S WHY I THINK THE
TRUTH -- CHRIS, IN A DEMOCRACY,
WE’RE ALWAYS SEEKING THE TRUTH.
AND SO SHE’S COURAGEOUS TO TELL
THE TRUTH AND THAT SHOULD BE
HONORED, AND SHE SHOULD BE NOT
ONLY -- THAT TRUTH SHOULD BE
HONORED BY DEMONSTRATING RESPECT