Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D., N.D.) said Monday that she was prepared to support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation until she viewed his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee with the sound turned off in order to focus on his "body language."
Heitkamp, a red-state Democrat who was under significant pressure to back Kavanaugh as she faces a strong challenge from Republican Kevin Cramer in this fall’s midterm elections, said she ordered her staff to draft a statement announcing her support for the nominee but reversed herself after detecting "rage" in his testimony.
"I was concerned about these allegations but willing to give him the benefit of the doubt," Heitkamp told CNN in an interview.
"It’s something I do," she added, of watching the hearing without volume. "We communicate not only with words, but with our body language and demeanor. I saw somebody who was very angry, who was very nervous, and I saw rage that a lot of people said, 'Well, of course you’re going to see rage; he’s being falsely accused.' But it is at all times you’re to acquit yourself with a demeanor that’s becoming of the Court."
Kavanaugh, who was ultimately confirmed Saturday, testified before the Judiciary Committee earlier this month after being accused of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford and a number of other women.
Following Kavanaugh’s testimony, in which he forcefully denied groping Ford at a high-school party, he was heavily criticized by Democratic lawmakers for displaying partisanship in referring to the accusations as a "political hit" carried out as "revenge" for his role in Bill Clinton’s impeachment.
Heitkamp went on to chastise Cramer for referring to the #MeToo movement as a "movement toward victimization," citing her mother’s experience as a sexual-assault victim to push back on his suggestion that the movement is disempowering women.
"People in my life have [been sexually assaulted], including my mother, and to suggest she’s not strong because she’s a victim was like a trigger for me. I just said she made us strong because she said don’t ever let this happen, fight for your rights. . . . This was a life-changing experience for her and she made us stronger because of it," said Heitkamp.
Less than one month out from the election, Cramer leads Heitkamp by 8.7 percentage points, according to the Real Clear Politics polling average.
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