People opposed to the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh as a justice on the United States Supreme Court held protests across the country, including in New Jersey Thursday.
The protests come as the FBI handed over a report to the U.S. Senate on the agency’s investigation into sexual misconduct allegations made against Kavanaugh by accuser Christine Blasey Ford.
Attorneys for Ford say that FBI agents have not interviewed anyone on the list of the people they say can corroborate Ford's allegations against the Supreme Court nominee. The list includes people Ford told about the alleged high school assault, including her husband.
Some senators who have read the report have said that it offers no corroboration of Ford’s account.
Sen. Bob Menendez criticized the report, and said that the FBI was not able to do a complete investigation.
“The report, if that is an investigation, it’s a [expletive] investigation,” the Democratic senator said, “The reality is that is not a full and thorough investigation…I hear a lot about corroboration. Well you don’t get a lot of corroboration, if you don’t talk to corroborating witnesses at the end of the day and that obviously didn’t happen here.”
But as the confirmation vote draws near, thousands across the country gathered in protest. Nearly 3,000 people gathered in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington Thursday. They are calling on Republican Sen. Susan Collins to vote against Kavanaugh. She's seen as an important swing vote in whether Kavanaugh will take a seat on the Court.
Dozens gathered in Princeton for a local protest – in support of the larger protest in Washington.
“The last straw came for me this weekend to watch our president mock a victim of sexual violence,” said Princeton resident Caroline Cleaves.
Cleaves was referring to President Donald Trump’s comments at a rally earlier this week where he mentions Ford not being able to remember certain details about the incident when she testified at a Senate hearing.
The Kavanaugh controversy has also energized some conservatives in New Jersey who support the Kavanaugh nomination.
“You have Democrats saying they’re going to oppose him, no matter what. So obviously their opposition is very suspect right from the beginning,” says New Jersey Right To Life executive director Marie Tasy.
A Senate vote on Kavanaugh is expected by Saturday.