>>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
WHAT A DAY.
I'M MEGYN KELLY.
IT'S GOING TO BE A DRAMATIC DAY
IN WASHINGTON D.C. WITH THE
FUTURE OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT
HANGING IN THE BALANCE.
HERE TO HELP ME DISCUSS IT NBC'S
JACOB SOBOROFF, AMY HOLMES AND
DAN GOLDMAN.
WELCOME TO YOU ALL.
GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> WEEKS OF ACCUSATIONS AND
DENIALS HAVE BROUGHT US TO THIS
MOMENT.
IN JUST A LITTLE WHILE WE WILL
HEAR FROM BRETT KAVANAUGH AND
ONE OF HIS ACCUSERS, DR.
CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD.
DR. FORD WILL TELLE FROM SOMEONG
SIMPLY GOOD LUCK, DR. FORD.
>> WOW.
>> IT'S HIGH STAKES.
I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER WHAT
JUDGE KAVANAUGH WHO HAS HAD 20
PLUS YEARS OF DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE TO THE COUNTRY, WHAT
HE'S FEELING THIS MORNING AND
WHAT DR. FORD, A PRIVATE CITIZEN
A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WORKING AS A
PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR, WHAT SHE'S
FEELING ABOUT TO GO BEFORE THOSE
SENATORS AND THIS SEX CRIMES
PROSECUTOR WHO WILL BE DOING A
LOT OF THE QUESTIONING FOR THE
REPUBLICANS.
>> CAN I TELL YOU HOW I'M
FEELING.
I'M FEELING HYPER.
WE'VE TALKING ABOUT ANXIOUS.
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WILL BE
WATCHING.
PEOPLE WHO ARE OTHERWISE PRIVATE
CITIZENS.
THEY DON'T GO ON TELEVISION FOR
A LIVING TO TALK ABOUT PERSONAL
INTIMATE, DIFFICULT PAINFUL
THINGS.
FOR BOTH JUDGE KAVANAUGH AND DR.
FORD.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> THE FUTURE OF AMERICA.
I SWEAR, I WOKE UP, I WAS A BAD
STUDENT AND I FELT LIKE THIS
MORNING WAKING UP LIKE I DID
WHEN I WOULDN'T PREPARE FOR A
TEST GOING INTO SCHOOL.
THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT THE
SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE IS
GOING.
THERE'S BEEN NO FBI
INVESTIGATION.
WE'LL SEE THE WITNESSES.
THEY'LL MAKE A DECISION THAT
LITERALLY WILL LAST A LIFETIME
AFTER THIS.
AND NOBODY HAS DECIDED TO SAY
LET'S STOP AND PAUSE.
>> THERE'S BEEN AN
INVESTIGATION, JACOB.
THERE HASN'T BEEN AN FBI
INVESTIGATION BUT THE SENATE
INVESTIGATORS HAVE BEEN
INVESTIGATING THE CLAIMS SINCE
THEY WERE MADE.
>> THAT'S NOT THE SAME THING.
>> BUT TO SUGGEST THAT THERE
HASN'T BEEN AN INVESTIGATION IS
FALSE.
THERE HAS BEEN.
>> SPOKEN TO MARK JUDGE.
>> THEY HAVE SPOKEN TO ANYBODY
WHO WILL SPEAK TO THEM.
MARK JUDGE ISSUED A STATEMENT
DENYING THAT THIS HAPPENED AND
SAYING HE DOESN'T WANT ANYTHING
TO DO WITH THE PROCEEDINGS.
>> THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE AND
THIS IS WHY AN FBI INVESTIGATION
IS SO IMPORTANT.
THE FBI IS NOT THERE TO DRAW ANY
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT WHETHER ONE
PERSON SAYS THE RIGHT THING OR
THE OTHER.
THEY'RE THERE TO TALK TO ALL THE
RELEVANT PEOPLE, THE ONES IN THE
ROOM --
>> ALLEGED.
>> AND OTHERS WHO MAY BE
CORROBORATING WITNESSES.
THEN THEY'RE TO DELIVER THAT AND
THE COMMITTEE CAN DO WHAT THEY
WANT.
A SENATE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATION
RUN BY THE MAJORITY REPUBLICANS
IS JUST NOT THE SAME.
>> THE DEMOCRATS HAVE HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
>> THEY'RE NOT EQUIPPED TO DO
THIS.
>> THEY COULD ASK QUESTIONS ON
THOSE PHONE CALLS WHICH THEY
HAVE REFUSED TO DO.
>> AND POINT OF FACT, THE SENATE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HAVE A
BIPARTISAN INVESTIGATIVE TEAM
THAT INVESTIGATES ALL THE TIME.
>> THEY REFER IT TO THE FBI.
>> THERE MIGHT BE -- THIS IS
STRANGE.
IT CAME OUT LAST NIGHT.
TWO MEN HAVE STEPPED FORWARD AND
SAID THAT THEY MIGHT BE THE MEN
TO WHOM DR. FORD IS REFERRING.
I MEAN, THIS STORY JUST GETS
MORE AND MORE COMPLICATED, AND
MORE AND MORE STRANGE.
>> THERE ARE NOW TWO DIFFERENT
MEN WHO HAVE SAID I BELIEVE I
MAY HAVE BEEN THE ONE.
SHE SAYS I HAVE NOT MADE THE
CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY.
>> LET'S PUT THAT IN
PERSPECTIVE.
TWO ANONYMOUS MEN VOLUNTEERING I
COMMITTED A CRIME, AND THE
STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS HAS NOT
RUN ON THAT CRIME.
I CAN BE PROSECUTED FOR THIS,
BUT I'M DOING THIS OUT OF THE
GOOD OF THE COUNTRY.
I'M OTHERWISE A PRIVATE CITIZEN
AND WE'RE TO BELIEVE I WANT TO
COME FORWARD AND ADMIT TO AN
ATTEMPTED RAPE IN ORDER TO --
>> SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY THAT
RAISES THEIR CREDIBILITY.
>> I SAID THIS THE OTHER DAY.
I MEAN IT.
I THINK THIS IS THE REASON
PEOPLE DON'T TRUST WASHINGTON
AND PEOPLE DON'T GO OUT TO VOTE.
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS CANNOT
AGREE ON HOW TO HANDLE NOT ONE,
TWO, THREE, BUT FOUR ALLEGED
ASEXUAL ASSAULTS AT THIS POINT.
>> THERE ARE NOT FOUR ALLEGED
ASSAULTS.
NO.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE
IN THIS POSITION FOR JUDGE
KAVANAUGH.
EVERYBODY TRIES TO LUMP THEM
TOGETHER AND SAY FOUR OR FIVE
ACCUSERS.
NOT TRUE.
>> IRRESPECTIVE OF THE NUMBER.
>> IT MATTERS.
THE FACTS MATTER.
LET ME SAY.
DR. CHRISTINE BLASEY FORD
ACCUSES HIM OF AN ATTEMPTED
SEXUAL ASSAULT AND ATTEMPTED
RAPE.
THERE ARE NO CORROBORATING
WITNESSES TO THE EVENT.
THE ONLY OTHER PERSON SHE PUTS
IN THE ROOM, MARK JUDGE, A
FRIEND OF HIS, WHICH I THINK
SPEAKS TO CREDIBILITY.
SO FAR SHE'S LOOKING -- THAT TO
ME IS THE INDICATOR OF SOMEBODY
WHO IS TRYING TO TELL WHAT SHE
HONESTLY BELIEVES.
ANYWAY, HE DENIES IT.
MARK JUDGE AND BRETT KAVANAUGH.
NUMBER TWO IS A WOMAN WHO SAYS
WHILE AT YALE WITH BRETT
KAVANAUGH IN A CIRCLE HE MAY
HAVE EXPOSED HIMSELF IN A
DRINKING GAME.
SHE'S NOT SURE IF HE WAS HIM.
SHE DIDN'T SEE HE WAS BRETT
KAVANAUGH.
SHE HEARD SOMEBODY ELSE SAY IT
WAS BRETT KAVANAUGH.
NOBODY ELSE AT THE PARTY
CONFIRMS THAT ACCOUNT.
NUMBER THREE, IS THE AVENATTI
WITNESS.
THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN TEASED BY
AVENATTI ON TWITTER ALL WEEK AS
THE BOMB SHELL WITNESS WHO
DECIDES NOT TO SAY ANYTHING
PUBLICLY UNTIL THE EVE BEFORE
HIS CONFIRMATION HEARING, THE
TESTIMONY TODAY.
AND THAT WOMAN IS TALKING ABOUT
A GANG RAPE PARTY --
>> EPIDEMIC.
>> BACK IN THE 1981, AND SHE
DOESN'T ACCUSE BRETT KAVANAUGH
OF EVER HAVING LAID A FINGER ON
HER OR MARK JUDGE, FOR THAT
MATTER.
NUMBER FOUR IS AN ANONYMOUS
PERSON WHOSE ACCOUNT COMES FROM
THE MOTHER OF ANOTHER PERSON ALL
OF WHOM ARE ANONYMOUS.
THE MOTHER OF ONE WOMAN SAYS HER
DAUGHTER'S FRIEND WAS ALLEGEDLY
PUSHED AGAINST A WALL BY A YOUNG
BRETT KAVANAUGH IN 1998.
NONE OF THE ACTUAL PARTICIPANTS
OF THAT EVENT HAVE COME FORWARD
TO SAY IT HAPPENED.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY IDENTITIES OR
KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BIASES OR SO
ON.
THERE WAS A FIFTH WOMAN WHO CAME
FORWARD WHO HAS ALREADY RECANTED
SAYING I MADE IT UP.
SO LET'S BE CLEAR ON WHAT THE
>> MY LARGER POINT IS --
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> YEAH.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IS
DISPUTING IT.
THAT'S THE POINT.
WE SHOULD BE CLEAR ON THE
POINTS.
>> TO SAY FOUR ALLEGATIONS OF
SEXUAL ASSAULT, THAT'S HOW
SOMEBODY IS UNFAIRLY MALIGNED.
>> JUST IN DR. FORD'S CASE, THE
CASE TODAY, I THINK IT IS WHY
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SO
TURNED OFF TO WHAT HAPPENS IN
OUR NATION'S CAPITAL.
THE REPUBLICANS AND THE
DEMOCRATS CANNOT EVEN AGREE ON
HOW TO INVESTIGATE AN ALLEGED
SEXUAL ASSAULT.
>> BECAUSE THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT
POLITICS.
>> THAT'S ALL IT IS.
>> AND I THINK THAT'S FAIR.
WE ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT A
LOT OF PEOPLE ARE JUST SIMPLY
UNDECIDED.
THAT THEY WILL BE WATCHING TODAY
TO MAKE THEIR OWN ASSESSMENT,
AND I WANT TO REFLECT BACK TO
ANITA HILL OWN HER TESTIMONY.
AFTER HER TESTIMONY, ACTUALLY,
MORE PEOPLE DIDN'T BELIEVE HER
STORY WITH CBS.
I HAVE THE NUMBERS HERE.
BEFORE 47% DID NOT BELIEVE HER
GOING IN.
AFTER 54% DID NOT BELIEVE ANITA
HILL GOING IN.
>> BUT IN HER DEFENSE, SHE HAD
AN ENTIRE GROUP OF SENATORS,
DEPTHS AND REPUBLICANS AGAINST
HER.
>> IT WAS A DIFFERENT DYNAMIC
AND A DIFFERENT TIME.
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY'RE
TAKING JUDGE JUDI'S ADVICE AND
WAITING TO SEE AND MAKE UP THEIR
OWN MIND.
>> TO YOUR POINT, I THINK AS
PEOPLE WATCH THIS, AND TO YOUR
POINT ABOUT WHAT THE ALLEGATIONS
ARE AND THAT THE NOTION THAT
THEY MAY BE FABRICATED WHICH IS
WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING,
LOOK AT WHAT THIS HAS DONE TO
DR. FORD'S LIFE.
NO ONE WOULD EVER WANT TO COME
OUT AND HAVE THEIR LIFE
DESTROYED LIKE THIS IF THEY WERE
JUST SIMPLY MAKING IT UP UNLESS
THERE'S AN INCREDIBLY MOTIVE TO
DO SO.
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT FULLY.
BUT PEOPLE DO LIE.
AND I'M NOT SAYING DR. FORD IS
DOING THAT AT ALL.
>> RARELY IN THE PUBLIC GLARE.
>> THAT'S NOT TRUE AT ALL.
ROLLING STONE AND UVA AND DOWN
AT THE DUKE UNIVERSITY.
AND THIS FIFTH ACCUSER WHO CAME
OUT AND HAS ALREADY SAID NEVER
MIND.
FORGET IT.
I'M OUT.
>> A MAN WHO SAID HE BEAT UP
ANOTHER GUY AND SAW A PHOTO --
>> THIS GUY SAID BRETT KAVANAUGH
RAPED SOMEBODY ON A BOAT IN
RHODE ISLAND.
IT WAS A LIE.
>> YES.
THE WAY THAT HE --
>> I'M SAYING PEOPLE DO COME
FORWARD TO SAY THINGS THAT
AREN'T TRUE.
JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY PUTS
THEMSELVES THROUGH THE RINGER
DOES NOT MEAN THEY'RE A TRUTH
TELLER.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT.
I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT.
>> I'M DRILLING THE POINT THAT
YOU REALLY NEED TO HAVE A
TREMENDOUS MOTIVE TO FABRICATE
IF YOU'RE DR. FORD AND YOU'RE
GOING BEFORE MILLIONS AND
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TODAY TO LIE
ABOUT SOME FABRICATION.
>> GO AHEAD.
>> I DON'T THINK THAT THIS
SHOULD BE A TEST AS WE'VE HEARD
FROM MANY PEOPLE, A TEST OF
FEMALE SOLIDARITY.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE A SEARCH
FOR THE TRUTH AND TRY TO HAVE A
REASONABLE CONVERSATION
QUESTIONING TODAY TO LEARN AS
MUCH AS WE CAN AND THEN THE
SENATORS WILL ADVISE AND CONSENT
AN WHETHER OR NOT THIS NOMINEE
SHOULD MOVE FORWARD.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL BE A
SEARCH FOR TRUTH.
IT'S BEEN 36 YEARS.
THE REASON WE HAVE STATUTES OF
LIMITATIONS IN THIS COUNTRY IS
BECAUSE THE DEFENDANT CAN'T
POSSIBLY DEFEND A CHARGE FROM 36
YEARS AGO WITHOUT PHYSICAL
EVIDENCE OR PROOF OR WITNESSES.
IF SHE CAME TO HIM THE WEEK
AFTER, HE COULD HAVE SAID, I
WASN'T AT THAT PARTY.
I WAS IN ANOTHER STATE AT
WHATEVER HIS DEFENSE WOULD HAVE
BEEN.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF TRUTH IS
ATTA
ATTAINABLE, BUT I DO THINK THE
SENATE --
>> DIGNITY IS.
THAT'S AT THE TABLE.
>> THAT'S THEIR DUTY TO ADVISE
AND CONSENT.
THEY NEED TO GET ENOUGH
INFORMATION TO FEEL COMFORTABLE
WITH THEIR DECISION.
ONCE THEY REACH THAT CONCLUSION,
I BELIEVE HER A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I BELIEVE HIM A LITTLE BIT MORE,
THEY CAN VOTE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON
FRIDAY.
>> AND THEN YOU CAN CALL YOUR
SENATORS AND PUT PRESSURE ON
THEM ABOUT WHICH WAY YOU WANT
THEM TO VOTE, BECAUSE THEY
REPRESENT YOU.
>> AND THEY'LL PROBABL