Senators vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination

Our live coverage of the Senate’s final vote on Brett Kavanaugh has ended. Go here or scroll through the posts below to see how the final vote unfolded. You can also visit CNN Politics for more on Kavanaugh.

The Senate voted Saturday to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court, following a contentious confirmation battle.

The vote total was 50-48.

The vote took place as protesters against the nomination interrupted the vote and as those for and against Kavanaugh marched on the Capitol grounds and at the Supreme Court.

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia was the only Democrat to vote for the nominee. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was the only Republican who opposed the nomination. 

Protesters shouted at the top of their lungs and yelled “I will not consent” as they were forcibly removed from the Senate Gallery during the final confirmation vote for Brett Kavanaugh.

At least seven protesters were removed. They continued to scream as they were pulled into the hallway.

As the vote started, one by one protesters stood in different sections and started shouting, most with their fists raised. 

One protester had to be carried out by her arms and legs.

Roll call has started on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination vote. Protesters could be heard shouting as the final vote was about to begin. Vice President Mike Pence is presiding over the vote.

Watch the moment:

Protesters staged a sit-in Saturday in front of the US Supreme Court ahead of Brett Kavanaugh’s final confirmation vote.

They chanted “our streets” and expressed support for survivors as they sat in the middle of street.

US Capitol Police tried to control the sit-in, but eventually backed off.

Protesters occupy the center steps of the East Front of the US Capitol after breaking through barricades to demonstrate against the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh on Oct. 6, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Demonstrators descended on Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court Saturday to protest ahead of the Senate’s final confirmation vote on Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

Police arrested demonstrators who swarmed the steps of the Capitol to protest Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Here’s what it looked like:

Republican Sen. John Cornyn, speaking to reporters Saturday ahead of the final vote, said the process surrounding Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation was not “the Senate’s finest hour.”

He also addressed protests at the Capitol and Supreme Court.

“Protesters are great. I mean, that’s the American way. But the assaulting people, the inciting people, inciting other people who may be listening to perhaps even violence is dangerous. So I think we need to take a step back and try to learn from this and do better,” Cornyn said.

Any protesters, who was arrested both Friday and Saturday, will not be allowed to simply pay a fine and be released again, Capitol Police told CNN.

Instead, they will be taken to central booking, where they will remain until Tuesday (since Monday is a federal holiday). This also applies to any protesters who disturb the Senate floor from the gallery.

Anyone who was arrested for the first time Saturday will be allowed to pay a fine and be released.

Police arrested demonstrators who stood on the steps of the Capitol on Saturday and protested the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

As police detained the protesters, people chanted “Arrest sexual predators; not protesters.”

Teresa Blair shot this video of Capitol Police officers detaining demonstrators as others chanted “The whole world’s watching” and “Vote them out.”

Watch that moment:

Protesters rally against the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, outside of the Supreme Court, on Oct. 6, 2018, in Washington, DC.

Demonstrators gathered outside the US Supreme Court building and the Capitol Saturday morning to protest the pending vote for Brett Kavanaugh.

They chanted “We believe survivors” as they stood on the steps of the Capitol.

Watch that moment:

The Senate is expected to start its final vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation around 3:30 p.m. ET.

All senators were asked to be in their seats for a formal roll call, aide said.

President Trump took to Twitter Saturday morning to celebrate the imminent vote for Brett Kavanaugh.

He praised pro-Kavanaugh women activists while again jabbing protesters opposed to the judge, many of whom said they had their own stories of assaults. His attitude reflected what critics say is a habit of siding with the accused rather than the alleged victims of assaults.

First lady Melania Trump tours the Cape Coast Castle, a former slave trading fort, in Cape Coast, Ghana, on Oct. 3, 2018.

First lady Melania Trump said she was glad both Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford were heard with regard to the sexual assault allegations Ford made of him, but that Kavanaugh was also highly qualified for the job.

The first lady also would not say if she believed Ford’s allegations against Kavanaugh.

“I will move on that and I think that all the victims they need – we need to help all the victims no matter what kind of abuse they had, but I am against any kind of abuse or violence,” she said.

The Senate is poised to elevate Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, bringing an end to months of bitter partisan feuding marked by shocking allegations of sexual assault and vehement and angry denials from the nominee who is now set to become the newest high court justice.

A final confirmation vote is scheduled to take place later Saturday afternoon.

Democrats railed against the nomination in Senate floor speeches Friday night and Saturday morning, and protests opposing Kavanaugh are expected throughout the day on Saturday. But the GOP has the votes to successfully confirm Kavanaugh.

The confirmation will mark a major victory for President Donald Trump, who will soon be able to take credit for appointing two conservative justices to the Supreme Court during his relatively brief time in office so far.

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, speaking from the Senate floor Friday night, said she agonized over her decision to vote no on Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

She went on to say in making her decision, she spoke with her constituents, to Kavanaugh and reviewed his performance at last week’s hearing. The Republican lawmaker added that “a judge must act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity and impartiality of the judiciary and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety,” even in the face of a sexual assault allegation and a “politicized process.”

Murkowski continued: “He is clearly a learned judge. But in my conscience, because that’s how I have to vote at the end of the day is with my conscience. I could not conclude that he is the right person for the court at this time. And this has been agonizing for me with this decision. It is as hard a choice, probably as close a call as any that I can ever remember.”

US Capitol Police arrest demonstrators blocking the office door of Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) protesting against the appointment of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at Russell Senate Office Building in Washington DC, on Oct. 5, 2018.

Police arrested 101 people Friday as senators voted to advance Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

The US Capitol Police said they responded to multiple demonstrations and made dozens of arrests. Here’s a breakdown of the arrests:

Actress Alyssa Milano speaks during a rally in front of the US Supreme Court on Sept. 28, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Actress and activist Alyssa Milano described in an op-ed for CNN why she feels she does not have equal rights following Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

“Now, as I watch Brett Kavanaugh’s likely ascension to the Supreme Court, it feels like a new kind of violation, proving we need an Equal Rights Amendment so that our justice system has the tools to treat women equally under the law,” she wrote.

Milano continued: “Our country has allowed men like Brett Kavanaugh to use our founding documents to preserve their power and privilege, while denying women protection from the consequences of their actions. That is because, for most of our country’s history, the Constitution has treated anyone who is not a white, land-owning man to be a second-class citizen – a legacy the document has yet to shed.”

Read Milano’s op-ed here.

Montana Sen. Steve Daines will be out Saturday because he will be attending his daughter’s wedding.

But Daines’ spokesperson said he “is prepared to come back and vote after the wedding.”

Why it matters: That means that the final vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation could be held up for many hours, potentially overnight. 

Whether that happens is uncertain. Assuming the votes stay the same, and there’s no reason to think otherwise. Here’s what could happen:

Ultimately, it will be Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision on whether to keep the vote open for Daines. And for the moment, it’s uncertain what McConnell will do.

The vote is expected to start tomorrow right before 5 p.m. ET, assuming all 30 hours of debate are used up. But it’s possible it could start earlier if Republicans yield back some of their debate time. So the exact time has not been set at this point.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., arrives at the chamber for a procedural vote to advance the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, at the Capitol in Washington, on Oct. 5, 2018.

Donald Trump Jr. took to Twitter Friday to criticize Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin’s vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

“A real profile in courage from Lyin’ liberal @JoeManchinWV. Waited until Kavanugh had enough votes secured before he announced his support. I bet he had another press release ready to go if Collins went the other way,” Trump Jr. tweeted.

What happened earlier today: Minutes after Republican Sen. Susan Collins announced on the Senate floor that she would vote yes to confirm Kavanaugh, Manchin, a red-state Democrat, released a statement declaring his support.

Here’s what Manchin said:

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, talks with reporters after speaking on the Senate floor, on Capitol Hill, Friday, on Oct. 5, 2018 in Washington about her vote on Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins said she made her decision on Kavanaugh last night.

“I made it last night, after finishing going through all the FBI interviews,” the Republican lawmaker said.

Asked about whether it was a difficult decision, given the conviction in her speech, Collins said she struggled with it.

A GOP source familiar with the nomination process said staffers on the committee, at the White House and in Brett Kavanaugh’s inner circle were all holding their breaths as Sen. Susan Collins delivered her speech.

The source said they believed Collins would announce her support for Kavanaugh but given the unpredictability of the week, they were watching and waiting like everybody else.

President Trump delayed a signing ceremony and watched Sen. Susan Collins’ floor speech in the dining room next to the Oval Office, a White House aide said.

Trump was in “a really good mood, to say the least,” the aide said.

Trump had been scheduled to sign the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill at 2:45 p.m. ET today.

But the aide said the signing was delayed because as soon as House members and senators entered the Oval Office for the planned signing event, Trump asked them if they wanted to watch Sen. Susan Collins’ speech. And they did.

 The bill has now been signed, however. The legislation reauthorizes the FAA for five years and makes some regulatory changes related to plane travel.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, tweeted praise for Sen. Susan Collins’ decision to support Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Grassley compared Collins to the late Sen. Margaret Chase Smith of Maine, who gave a now-famous 1950 speech, and who Grassley called “trailblazing.”

“I commend Sen Collins for her thoughtfulness and am proud to have her support for such a well qualified nominee,” Grassley wrote.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins just announced that she was supporting Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation after delivering a 45-minute speech before her colleagues on the Senate floor.

Here are a few key quotes from her speech:

Former President George H.W. Bush took to Twitter to praise Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ decision to vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court.

Read his tweet:

Speaking shortly after Sen. Susan Collins announced she would vote yes for Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell thanked her and applauded her speech.

“Those of us who’ve been in the Chamber today have had a unique opportunity to listen to a great statesman from Maine once again talk about this institution, how it ought to treat matters like this, and that she’s given us the opportunity to think about how we can rise above the depths to which we’ve sunk during this process.” McConnell said.

As Sen. Joe Manchin spoke to reporters after announcing his support for Kavanaugh’s confirmation, protesters began chanting, “Shame! Shame!”

Individual voices in the crowd could be heard crying out, “Shame on you!” and “What is wrong with you?”

Manchin spoke with his eyes averted, to which the crowd responded by changing their chant to “Look at us, look at us!”

With both Collins and Manchin now voting yes, Kavanaugh is expected to have the support to be confirmed when a final vote takes place Saturday.

Watch it:

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Majority Whip John Cornyn sat with their chairs turned around facing Sen. Susan Collins for her floor speech.

Sitting directly behind Collins were three Republican women who already backed Kavanaugh: Sens. Joni Enrst, Shelley Moore Capito and Cindy Hyde-Smith.

A handful of Democrats, including Sen. Dick Durbin, sat solemnly during the speech.

When Collins concluded, her Republican colleagues stood and applauded her.

McConnell went to hug her, followed by the rest of the Republicans in the chamber.

She and Sen. Chuck Grassley hugged for several seconds when he came to greet her.

Minutes after Sen. Susan Collins announced on the Senate floor that she would vote yes to confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Sen. Joe Manchin, a red-state Democrat, released a statement declaring his support.

“I have reservations about this vote given the serious accusations against Judge Kavanaugh and the temperament he displayed in the hearing,” Manchin wrote, expressing sympathy for sexual assault survivors.

“That is why I voted to confirm Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to serve on the Supreme Court because I believe he will rule in a manner that is consistent with our Constitution.”

Read the full statement:

Sen. Susan Collins, speaking from the Senate floor Friday afternoon, said she will vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

“Despite the turbulent, bitter fight surrounding his nomination, my fervent hope is that Brett Kavanaugh will work to lessen the divisions in the Supreme Court so that we have far fewer 5-4 decisions and so that public confidence in our judiciary and our highest court is restored,” she said.

“Mr. President, I will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh,” Collins said.

Her announcement essentially secures that the judge has enough support to be confirmed when a final vote takes place Saturday.

Before announcing her decision, Collins explained her past voting record for Supreme Court justices in a 45-minute speech.

The Maine Republican said she voted to advance Supreme Court justice nominations under both Republican and Democratic presidents.

Watch:

Sen. Susan Collins addressed Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations of sexual assault, calling her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee “sincere, painful, and compelling.”

“I believe that she is a survivor of a sexual assault and that this trauma has upended her life,” Collins said. However, she then stressed that Ford’s allegations could not be corroborated.

“The four witnesses she (Ford) named could not corroborate any of the events of that evening gathering where she says the assault occurred. None of the individuals professor Ford says were at the party has any recollection at all of the night,” Collins said, pointing out that Ford could not remember how she got home and questioning why Ford’s friends had not called the next day.

She also called allegations against Kavanaugh of gang rape “outlandish,” and said they “illustrate why the presumption of innocence is so important.”

In the same breath, however, she expressed support for survivors of sexual assault. “The #MeToo movement is real,” she declared. “It matters. It is needed and it is long overdue.”

In her speech before the Senate, Sen. Susan Collins addressed several common arguments against Brett Kavanaugh, and refuted each one.

“One concern I frequently heard was that the judge would be likely to eliminate the Affordable Care Act’s vital protections for people with preexisting conditions,” Collins began. “I disagree with this contention.”

She then cited the Seven-Sky v. Holder case as an example of Kavanaugh’s work in preserving the ACA.

Collins also addressed the concern that Kavanaugh would help protect President Trump if he had a case of wrongdoing before the court.

She continued to address other concerns including access to birth control, LGBT rights, abortion rights, and racial equality. On each topic, she defended Kavanaugh, citing his previous statements and decisions, even arguing at one point, “I believe opponents missed the mark on this issue.”

Collins then noted his “rave reviews” and the American Bar Association’s “well-qualified” rating of Kavanaugh.

Sen. Susan Collins opened her remarks by sharply condemning the confirmation process that’s played out since President Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh, saying it “become so dysfunctional, it looks more like a caricature of a gutter level political campaign than a solemn occasion.”

She added, “Over-the-top rhetoric and distortions of his record and testimonies at his first hearing produced short-lived headlines, which although debunked hours later continued to live on and be spread through social media.”

“Interest groups have also spent an unprecedented amount of dark money opposing this nomination. Our Supreme Court confirmation process has been in steady decline for more than 30 years. One can only hope that the Kavanaugh nomination is where the process has finally hit rock bottom.”

See it:

Watch it live on CNN.

As Sen. Collins stepped onto the Senate floor, protesters in the Senate gallery chanted loudly, “Vote no! Show up for Maine women! Vote no! Show up for Maine women!”

They were sternly told, “As a reminder to our guests in the galleries, expressions of approval or disapproval are not permitted in the senate galleries.”

At least six protesters were removed from the gallery.

Watch it:

Smiling broadly, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell just walked past reporters saying, “Hello everyone.” He seems upbeat. 

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) walks to the Senate floor for a cloture vote on the nomination of Supreme Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, at the US Capitol, on Oct. 5, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Sen. Susan Collins, a key undecided vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, is soon expected to announce her final vote on his nomination. She will speak at 3:05 p.m. ET.

Earlier today, Collins voted yes to advance Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination.

What to watch: After she announces her decision, all eyes will be on Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, who is also undecided.

Sen. Susan Collins is expected to announce her vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation at 3 p.m. ET.

Activists, protesters, and constituents have crowded outside her office all Friday, with people from both sides hoping to sway her opinion.

Collins and Sen. Joe Manchin are now the only two remaining senators who have not announced their decisions, placing additional weight on their votes. As one Twitter user noted, the scene outside Collins’ office is “ripe with anxious anticipation.”

Protesters have even spilled out of the building into the street, where they hold up signs emblazoned “NO” and chant, “Collins vote no.”

People have taken to social media to record the scene. One person tweeted that Kavanaugh supporters and opponents were debating the issue in the hallway; another captured a group of women praying.

Demonstrators protest US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh inside the office of US Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) on October 5, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Protesters on both sides clashed outside the offices of key swing vote senators after the Senate voted Friday to advance Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination.

Key undecided senators – as well as congressional leaders – have been receiving the majority of the protests, in particular key remaining undecided senators Republican Susan Collins of Maine and Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

Before the vote Friday morning, protesters also gathered outside the home of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and staged a “confirmation kegger,” in the final hours before the Senate prepares for a confirmation vote for Brett Kavanaugh’s embattled nomination to the Supreme Court.

Watch that moment:

The Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN), an key group that backed Republican Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski during her 2010 write-in triumph, released a statement Friday applauding Murkowski’s vote against Kavanaugh.

“She heard our concerns about Judge Kavanaugh’s record on the constitutional rights of Native peoples, and voted accordingly this morning. AFN will continue to advocate against his confirmation, and work to get other Senators to join Sen. Murkowski prior to tomorrow’s vote,” the statement read.

Murkowski had faced pressure from constituents to oppose Kavanaugh’s nomination – but not because of his sexual assault allegations. The AFN said in a statement last month that it “strongly” opposed Kavanaugh because of “his views on the rights of Native peoples.”

Murkowski told CNN last week that she pressed Kavanaugh to “directly address the concerns that have been raised by some of our Alaska native leaders through AFN.”

Earlier Friday morning, the American Bar Association sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee announcing that they were re-opening their evaluation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The letter referenced “new information of a material nature regarding temperament during the September 27th hearing” – the day Kavanaugh and Ford testified before the Committee.

Kavanaugh’s fiery denial of the allegations and his back-and-forth exchanges with senators raised some eyebrows, which he addressed in an op-ed published Thursday in the Wall Street Journal.

Despite the re-opened evaluation, the ABA’s letter also stressed that “our original rating stands.” Kavanaugh is currently highly rated as “well-qualified,” which Sens. Grassley and McConnell have cited in defense of Kavanaugh.

See the letter:

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the White House hopes that Judge Brett Kavanaugh will get confirmed and dismissed concerns about senators changing their minds about the Supreme Court nominee.

Her remarks came during a brief gaggle with reporters following her appearance on Fox News Friday.

Asked by CNN’s Jeff Zeleny about President Trump’s response to Kavanaugh’s op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, Sanders said, “Look, the President supports his nominee and wants to see him get confirmed.”

She added that she hasn’t talked to Trump specifically about the op-ed.

Sen. Susan Collins, just a few hours before she is to announce her decision on the Brett Kavanaugh nomination, had lunch with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Majority Whip John Cornyn.

After the lunch, McConnell said he is “optimistic” about Saturday’s vote.

Sen. Lindsey Graham said GOP senators in the dining room combined their tables together to chat with Collins during lunch.

He also praised Collins for her courage in the face of what he called “mob rule,” though he said he didn’t know for sure how she’d vote.

He also defended Republican Sen. Jeff Flake’s “yes” vote, saying, “I think he’s gonna go back and tell anybody that asks that ‘I worked really really hard, this was an emotional case, but I did my homework.’”

Graham added that he thought Republicans were in a “good spot.”

Republican Sen. Steve Daines will be walking his daughter down the aisle at her wedding on Saturday, but he doesn’t plan on missing a final vote in Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

In a statement, the Montana lawmaker said Rep. Greg Gianforte (a self-made tech entrepreneur and multi-millionaire) offered to lend him him his plane, so Daines could make it to DC and cast the key vote.

Daines’ spokesperson tweeted the senator’s statement. You can read it below.

Members of the Maine’s Council of Churches gathered this morning at a park across the street from a building that houses Sen. Susan Collins’ office in Portland, Maine.

One of the speakers, Rev. James Gertmenian, said the council “is calling for Judge (Brett) Kavanaugh’s nomination to be withdrawn and for senators to vote against confirmation.”

He added: “The integrity of our Supreme Court is at stake.”

Gertmenian expressed disappointment after Collins voted yes earlier today to advance Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

The Republican senator from Alaska voted no on cloture earlier this morning, and will vote no on the final confirmation vote expected to happen tomorrow.

In her own words, here’s how she came to that decision:

Murkowski had been one of a handful of pivotal senators who remained publicly undecided on the nomination in the days leading up to Friday’s vote.

The other senators who have been closely watched since it was not known how they would vote – Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia – all voted “yes” on Friday.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that Kavanaugh has locked in all the votes needed for confirmation, however, since it is possible that some of those senators could ultimately vote against final confirmation.

What to watch: Collins is expected to deliver a speech at 3 p.m. ET on Friday to announce her final decision.

Sen. Jeff Flake told MSNBC today that he will vote yes on Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, unless something “big” were to happen.

“I don’t see what would,” Flake added. ” But anyway, I’m glad we had a better process.”

Earlier today, the Arizona Republican voted yes to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination.

Where things stand: That leaves Susan Collins and Joe Manchin as the two remaining undecided senators. If both vote no, Kavanaugh is done. If one votes no and one votes yes, this thing stretches on a bit longer, but he’ll be the next Supreme Court justice.

Senator Cornyn just told reporters that Senator Collins has not shared what she will say at 3 p.m. ET today.

When asked what GOP leadership needs to do now to lock in the votes ahead of the final confirmation, Cornyn said “I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing. Stay in touch. Offer to help and listen to what their concerns are. Obviously, the next important step is when Sen. Collins speaks this afternoon.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski just explained her vote to reporters leaving the floor, calling it “the most difficult evaluation” she’s had to make.

“He’s not the right man for the court at this time,” she said. “So I have taken my vote here this morning. I’m going to go back to my office and write a floor statement that is more fulsome.”

Capitol Police just moved in to start detaining anti-Kavanaugh protesters who were seated outside Arizona Senator Jeff Flake’s office.

Flake voted yes to invoke cloture on Kavanaugh, yet we don’t know where he’ll land in the final vote expected tomorrow.

Debbie Martin, of Alexandria, Virginia, is on Capitol Hill today but she’s not protesting Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

Instead, she’s out to show support.

Martin is making the rounds visiting Senate offices hoping to get votes for him with Freedom Works, a conservative political group.

Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Joe Manchin, David Perdue and Mike Lee have all been visited by her. She’s headed to Senator Jeff Flake’s office now.

They know that their group is not as numerous, or loud, on Capitol Hill today. But they’re still out and about.

“I support Judge Kavanaugh,” she said. “I think this process has been unfair and partisan. I think if he isn’t confirmed, it’s a bad precedent to set in our country. Uncorroborated accusations can ruin someone.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski just left the Senate floor. She spoke with varying members of GOP leadership for more than 20 minutes, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

She and McConnell spoke together for about two minutes, and she patted him on the shoulder as they split up.

Earlier, after Murkowski’s no vote, Senators Collins and Murkowski sat together on the Senate floor. They didn’t engage much while the roll was still being called.

Then, a few minutes later, Collins leaned in with her hand on Murkowski’s chair and the two seemed to talk back and forth for several minutes.

Sen. Steve Daines, whose daughter is getting married tomorrow, says he’s got transportation arranged for a quick return to DC if his vote is needed – though he wouldn’t say whether he will stay in Montana if the outcome isn’t in doubt without his vote.

“We have transportation arranged, and we’ll wait and see what happens,” Daines said.

“I’ve got a very happy daughter and I think we have a very happy judge right now, too. We’ve got one more step to take,” he said.

There was a group of people in the Senate gallery today as guests to Majority Leader McConnell who supported Kavanaugh’s nomination. They filed out of the gallery smiling and hugging, and some were making a point of audibly exhaling.

Brett Kavanaugh’s wife was not among them, and neither was Don McGahn, who was spotted earlier on the hill by CNN’s Ted Barrett.

President Trump was watching the dramatic Senate cloture vote from the residence of the White House, an official said, with the fate of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh still uncertain.

The president is not making calls to any senators, the official said, and is largely a bystander at this critical moment of his administration.

The president remains confident of Kavanaugh’s confirmation, the official said, but intends to use either outcome in the midterm election campaign.

He tweeted his support when the vote passed:

The Senate just voted to advance Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination in a critical test of support.

A final confirmation vote is expected Saturday.

Republican Sens. Jeff Flake and Susan Collins supported the motion, as did Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, who had been undecided.

GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted no.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is in the Senate Chambers overseeing the cloture vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination.

Protesters are in his office, chanting, “We don’t consent! No more rapist in power!”

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a key swing vote on the final Kavanaugh confirmation, just voted no on a procedural vote to invoke cloture.

How it happened: Murkowski stood up. All eyes were on her. Then, speaking so softly that all of the reporters had to scramble to ask one another if we had heard correctly, she said “no” on the procedural vote. She then slowly sat back down.

Senator Manchin left the SCIF with Senator Tim Kaine, but he did not say how he will vote.

He also didn’t say whether he would follow Collins on cloture and the final vote.

He said he read the FBI report.

They’re wearing jumpsuits, patterned with bricks and unflattering President Donald Trump quotes about women.

13 women stand, their silent human wall, protesting the Kavanaugh cloture vote that’s about to take place on Capitol Hill.

Sen. Jeff Flake, one of the four undecided senators who could make or break Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, is still making calls this morning, talking things through on his decision and weighing what he will do.

One possibility, according to a Democratic source who has been polling Flake, is that the Arizona Republican votes yes on cloture but could still a different way on the final confirmation vote.

A maintenance worker was seen scrubbing graffiti, scrawled on a vacant building facing the entrance of Senator Susan Collins’ office in Portland, Maine, earlier this morning.

It read, “JUSTICE FOR WOMEN NO TO KAV.”

There’s not many right now, but protesters and political groups are gathering in the Hart Senate Building ahead of the Senate’s cloture vote, today at 10:30 a.m.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins is scheduled to announce her final decision on Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh at 3 p.m. eastern today.

She says she will vote “yes” on cloture at the 10:30 a.m. ET vote, first.

Note: We expected the earlier vote would be the key one to watch, as we assumed senators would be unlikely to vote one way today and then another way tomorrow. We’ll have to wait for Collins’ 3 p.m. announcement to find out if that’s still true.

President Trump claimed, without evidence, that the two women who confronted Sen. Jeff Flake in an elevator last week as he announced he would support Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination were “paid professionals.”

While one of the women, Ana Maria Archila, is the co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, and Gallagher, the other, Maria Gallagher, is a recent college graduate. The two had only met that morning and discovered they both were survivors of sexual assault.

Senator Manchin, who as of this morning was “still undecided” on how he would vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination, will not announce his vote until he goes to the Senate floor, a Manchin aide tells CNN’s Manu Raju.

Heading into a vote of this magnitude without having the votes locked into place is pretty much the last thing the guy who wrote a book titled “The Long Game” would want to do. But the reality, as described by people involved in the process, is that it’s viewed internally as the only play at this point.

Multiple hearings, delays and an FBI supplemental background investigation have prolonged the process. New allegations or interviews from former friends or roommates have hit Kavanaugh daily. And for undecided senators, a binary choice that isn’t going to change – or get easier – with more time.

In other words: The decision has been made that it’s time to make everyone put their cards on the table. It’s a risk – senators historically don’t take too kindly being called on the carpet before they’re ready to make up their minds. And while technically Friday’s procedural vote could fail and they could try again, it’s almost inconceivable that another run at it would change votes.

And if they don’t have the votes? “Honestly, who the hell knows.”

After weeks of tumult and testimony, allegations and anger, pain and postponement, it is still all about four undecided senators.

There will be ample time to figure out what this nomination means -– for the Senate, for the court, for this moment, for the election, for the country.

But today, it’s all about the math: Can Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell get 50 senators to “yes”?

The bottom line: Republicans do not have the votes as of dawn this morning, per people with direct knowledge. McConnell is heading into the day that could clinch one of, if not the, cornerstone achievement of his career – tilting the court’s makeup firmly to the conservative side – and he doesn’t currently have the votes. He and his top deputies are optimistic, no question. But it’s not there yet. 

The schedule: The Senate will gavel into session at 9:30 a.m. ET. The vote to end debate (cloture) on Kavanaugh’s nomination is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. 

To make it clear: This morning’s vote is procedural -– Republicans need a simple majority to end debate (aka invoke cloture.) But make no mistake about it – this is the ballgame. Senators are unlikely to flip their votes between today and Saturday.

In other words: Kavanaugh’s future as a Supreme Court justice will be decided today. 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the floor just announced the Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m. ET Friday, with a cloture vote for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh set to take place one hour later.

The action moves the Senate closer to a confirmation vote, though a final vote would not take place until Saturday at the earliest.

Republican Sen. Steve Daines will be out Saturday because he is walking his daughter down the aisle at her wedding, so he would miss a confirmation vote for Brett Kavanaugh held that day, his spokesperson said. 

It’s unclear how this will affect Saturday’s vote or if it will delay the vote — because it’s uncertain if all GOP senators will vote for the nomination. They can’t lose more than one GOP senator if all Democrats vote no.

Activists shout slogans during a protest against the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh October 4, 2018 at the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

Capitol Police arrested 302 protesters Thursday during demonstrations at the Hart and Dirksen Senate Office buildings over the Brett Kavanaugh nomination.

In a statement, the department said police arrested 293 people at 3:30 p.m. ET for “unlawfully demonstrating in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building.”

Two hours later, police received reports of protests on the fourth floor of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. They arrested nine people.

All protesters were charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding, the department said. 

Sen. Susan Colllins — a key vote in Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation — told reporters she has read the interviews and “many” of the tip line transcripts.  

Departing the sensitive compartmented information facility, or SCIF, where the report has been held, she would not comment further on if she’d made up her mind or if she learned anything that helped her make up her mind.

Vice President Mike Pence will be in DC this weekend, a White House official tells CNN. That was always the plan: He travels tomorrow to New York City, but there was no plan for him to be out of town on Saturday and Sunday.

So why does that matter? This, of course, makes him available at a moment’s notice to drive down to Capitol Hill to cast a tie-breaking vote on the Brett Kavanaugh nomination. 

Senators spent Thursday reviewing the FBI’s supplemental background report of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the product of a week-long investigation.

The identities of all interviewees have not been released yet, although CNN has previously confirmed some people who spoke with the FBI and others who the agency did not approach.

Here’s some of the people who the FBI interviewed:

Notably not interviewed? Lawyers for Kavanaugh accusers Christine Blasey Ford and said the FBI never interviewed her. There’s also no indication that the FBI interviewed Julie Swetnick, the third accuser, or those connected to Swetnick. And Kavanaugh — the Supreme Court nominee in question — did not speak with the FBI during this investigation.

Read more here.

CORRECTION: This post has been corrected to reflect that Julie Swetnick was not interviewed by the FBI.

The FBI report sent to Capitol Hill includes 45 pages of interview summaries, a source familiar with the report said.

In addition, there are 1,600 extra pages of information that the FBI sent up from their tip line. The Hill did not ask for the additional pages, the source said. The source added that broad search terms were used, which also captured information not directly related to the allegations.

There was no synopsis included by the FBI and only a standard background information coversheet, according to the source.

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) arrives at the Office of Senate Security, which houses a 'sensitive compartmented information facility,' or SCIF, to view the the FBI report on Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh on Oct. 4, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Two protesters were arrested Thursday on suspicion of blocking the entrance to Sen. Jeff Flake’s office. 

After trying to meet with Flake’s staff, the protesters left his office, went to the front of the office building and sat down. There are several other offices inside the building.

The protesters were calling on Flake to vote no on Brett Kavanaugh. They were joined by other demonstrators, who were protesting Kavanaugh and President Trump outside Flake’s office. 

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said that he hasn’t read the FBI report yet, but will do so tonight or tomorrow morning.

Either way, he said, he feels confident in Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

“I believe Judge Kavanaugh’s gonna be confirmed. Last week was a circus even from the partisan standards of how Washington is now,” he said.

He criticized Sen. Dianne Feinstein for not reporting Ford’s allegations earlier, and said there were “two victims” from Democrats “leaking those allegations”: “No. 1, Dr. Ford and her family had their names dragged through the mud, and No. 2, Judge Kavanaugh and his family had their names dragged through the mud.”

Although Cruz stressed the importance of fairness and respect for both Ford and Kavanaugh, he concluded, “I looked at the evidence and the corroborating evidence was all contrary to the allegations.”

He also lambasted Democrats for “playing games” and trying to delay the confirmation, for “smearing” Kavanaugh and his family, and for their “extreme partisanship.”

“Watching Senate Democrats go into high dudgeon about, ‘How dare a teenage kid in high school drink beer?’ is just a little ridiculous,” said Cruz.

The Palm Beach Post reports that retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens suggested to an audience in Boca Raton, Florida, today that Brett Kavanaugh should be disqualified.   

According to the paper (as well as the moderator, Frank Cerabino, who confirmed the comments), Stevens said, “At that time, I thought (Kavanaugh) had the qualifications for the Supreme Court should he be selected.

“I’ve changed my views for reasons that have no relationship to his intellectual ability … I feel his performance in the hearings ultimately changed my mind,” the retired jurist said.

Commentators, Stevens said, have argued that Kavanaugh’s blistering testimony during a Sept. 27 hearing on sexual misconduct allegations demonstrated a potential for political bias should he serve on the Supreme Court.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a key undecided vote in Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, has just returned to the SCIF room to review more of the FBI’s background investigation report.

When asked by CNN’s Manu Raju if she had more questions or concerns, she said, “I’m not going to draw conclusions before I’m finished reading.”

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, one of the few remaining undecided key votes in Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, would not say which way he was leaning as he left a briefing Thursday afternoon.

Manchin said he still needed to finish reviewing the FBI’s report, saying he made it about halfway through the material and planned to go back tomorrow morning to continue reading.

He also referenced his Democratic colleague Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, who announced earlier Thursday that she would vote no against Kavanaugh.

“Heidi made her decision, I’ll make mine,” Manchin said.

When asked by CNN’s Manu Raju why the FBI investigation had not included interviews with more additional witnesses, Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said the FBI had been given permission to “interview whoever they think is necessary.”

“There has been no one to corroborate any of the allegations made by Dr. Ford or by Ms. Ramirez,” Cornyn said, adding that the FBI and Senate Judiciary Committee had studied all sexual assault allegations “exhaustively.”

Cornyn then decried the investigation, saying, “The whole purpose of this is delay. This is not a search for the truth anymore… This is a search-and-destroy mission.”

Watch it here:

When Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah was confronted by a group of protesters outside an elevator Thursday afternoon, he waved his hand at them and told them to “grow up.”

“Why aren’t you brave enough to talk to us and exchange with us?” one of the protesters asks as Hatch, flanked by security, waited for the elevator. Hatch waved his hand at her, to which she snapped back, “Don’t you wave your hand at me!”

“Grow up,” Hatch said as he entered the elevator, prompting a chorus of anger and disbelief from the protesters.

“How dare you talk to women that way?” one woman cried as the doors closed.

The actress Amy Schumer was just spotted at the anti-Kavanaugh protest inside the Hart Building Atrium on Capitol Hill.

She is standing against a wall as four police stood nearby.

It isn’t immediately clear if she is being arrested or detained.

Protesters in Washington erupted in cheers when they learned Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota would be voting no on Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

Watch the moment:

Capitol Police rounded up protesters who were gathered Thursday afternoon inside the atrium of the US Senate office building, CNN’s Joe Johns reported.

The demonstrators were protesting against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. They held a rally, sat down and started chanting inside the atrium.

“Eventually the United States Capitol Police started picking them up and putting them in lines,” Johns reported.

He noted that they didn’t appear to be in handcuffs. Johns said authorities will likely give the protesters a citation, and they’ll have to post bond, which is about $50. After posting bond, they are released.

“I’m told by the lawyers for the protesters that those charges do not remain on their criminal records,” Johns said. “This is a political action protest, as you can see.”

Watch the moment:

President Trump greets supporters in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

When asked if he had a message for Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump, who is in Minnesota today for a rally, replied, “I think he’s doing very well. The judge is doing well.”

He made the comment as he greeted supporters after landing at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Ana Maria Archila, one of the protesters who confronted Sen. Jeff Flake in an elevator last Friday shortly before he called for an FBI investigation, spoke today at the “Cancel Kavanaugh” rally in Washington.

Archila also directly mentioned several senators who hold key votes in Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

“We have an opportunity right now in this moment,” she said. “Senator Flake has an opportunity, Senator Murkowski has an opportunity, Senator Collins has an opportunity, and Senator Manchin has an opportunity. He’s a Democrat, but we are watching.” 

She continued: “What we are doing today is breathing life into our democracy.” 

A group of demonstrators blocked a street near a federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon, and stopped traffic Thursday during a protest against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The protesters laid on the street and spelled out a message that read: “Stop him,” according to CNN affiliate KATU. Red hand prints also appeared on their faces.

As protesters gathered in Washington, they were joined by Democratic Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Gillibrand thanked Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, who earlier Thursday announced that she would vote no against Kavanaugh.

Gillibrand also decried the FBI investigation as “not thorough” and “not complete.”

“It was intended to be a cover for those that don’t want to look at the truth,” said Gillibrand. She urged protesters to “Use your voice, use your vote, please do everything you can to make sure your voice is heard.”

Warren also spoke at the protest.

“I believe Christine Blasey Ford,” she said to the cheering crowd. “This is about power. I watched eleven men, powerful men, who tried to help another powerful man, make it to an even more powerful position. This is about hijacking democracy.”

“I am angry on behalf of women who have been told to sit down and shut up one time too many.”

A view of the entrance to the Office of Senate Security, which houses a "Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility,' or SCIF, where senators will reportedly be able to view the FBI report on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Senators on Capitol Hill are reviewing the FBI’s report on Brett Kavanaugh inside a vault, known as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility – or SCIF.

Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, went inside the SCIF and told reporters what it’s like. Here’s what he said:

Brett Kavanaugh, if approved, could be sworn in on the same day as the final vote. 

If he were to be confirmed, things would likely move quickly, because the Supreme Court sits Tuesday. Kavanaugh could take an oath and then repeat it, later in public, with more ceremony.

Justices are required to take two oaths of office but over the years the timing, place, and oath administrator have varied significantly.

The constitutional oath is required for all federal officials. The judicial oath is for judges. For instance, Chief Justice John Roberts took both oaths at the White House. They were administered by Justice John Paul Stevens.

One was televised, and one wasn’t.

Justice Breyer took both oaths in Vermont, where Chief Justice Rehnquist has his summer home. Two weeks later he repeated the constitutional oath at the White House.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said he has no doubt that Judge Brett Kavanaugh is qualified to be a Supreme Court justice, following the FBI’s background investigation.

“This person is very well qualified,” he said. “A person that believes in the principles of due process, the presumption of innocence and readiness to serve are recognized. So Judge Kavanaugh should be confirmed on Saturday.”

Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, blasted Democrats and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for pushing against Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, speaking at a news conference, said the FBI investigation into Brett Kavanaugh does not corroborate the allegations against him.

He continued: “They’ve always got a reason why the goalposts need to be moved further down the field — farther down the field — and nothing we could do would satisfy them.”

McConnell left room immediately after his comments, and did not stay for questions.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, the vulnerable red-state Dem from North Dakota, just released a statement outlining why she’ll oppose Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation.

Here are a few key quotes:

Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp, facing a tough re-election fight in a state that Donald Trump won by more than 30 points, tells North Dakota station WDAY she will vote no on the Brett Kavanaugh nomination.

That leaves four undecided Senators – Flake, Collins, Murkowski and Manchin. Republicans need two of them to vote yes for confirmation.

GOP Sen. John Kennedy, emerging from the secure area where senators have access to the FBI findings, told reporters there was “no corroboration.”

Kennedy added: “Anybody who thinks politics isn’t involved in this ought to put down the bong.”

A baby Trump balloon shared a stroller with a real baby at the protest against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh protest in Washington today.

The balloon is a tiny version of the Baby Trump balloon that has been cropping up at rallies and events across the US — and the world.

The first “Baby Trump” balloon — a caricature of the President that features him in a diaper with a phone in his hand, ready to tweet — first took flight in July, when London protesters turned out to voice their distaste for Trump during his visit.

Sen. Susan Collins, another key vote in the Brett Kavanaugh conformation, left a closed-door briefing flanked by a uniformed police officer. She refused to comment when we asked if she believed there should have been more witnesses interviewed. 

Asked if she still believed it was a thorough investigation, she said: “As I said, I’m not going to go further.” 

At one point, the officer pulled her by the arm to direct out the Capitol Visitors Center and shut the door on reporters trailing her.

Undecided red-state Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin will go in and read the report at 4 p.m. ET.

Until then, he says he has no comment on what he thinks. 

Sen. Lisa Murkowski — a key vote in Brett Kavanaugh’s conformation — just left a closed-door briefing on the investigation. She said she was still reviewing the report.

Asked if she believed the investigation was thorough enough, Murkowski said she wants to read the report herself.

“I’m not wasting any daylight here,” she said.

Murkowski was also asked if she based on what she knows, does she agree with Susan Collins that Kavanaugh probably would not overturn Roe v. Wade, she said: “I would concur.”

Protesters who gathered in Washington, DC, on Thursday to oppose Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh are chanting, “Hey hey, ho ho, Kavanaugh has got to go.”

The demonstrators are also carrying signs with messages that read: “Kavanaugh lied under oath” and “We know the truth.”

Posters showing an artist’s rendition of the woman confronting Sen. Jeff Flake in an elevator last week were passed around a protest against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in Washington Thursday.

Samantha Dercher, who took this photo, said she is participating in the protest “because the future of our country depends on it.”

“Kavanaugh is uniquely unfit to serve on our nation’s court. His temperament and partisanship during his hearing alone should be enough to disqualify him from consideration,” Dercher told CNN. “A man who has been credibly accused of sexual assault has no place making decisions on women’s bodies for generations to come.”

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pushed back hard on the scope of FBI investigation, calling it “very frustrating.”

He added that not enough relevant people were interviewed in his opinion.

The New Jersey lawmaker suggested that the report he read did have a hint of misconduct regarding Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

He said that in the documents themselves, there were issues raised that should have been followed up on. Booker blamed it on the scope spelled out by the White House and Republicans on the committee, and said that “perhaps limited the ability of the FBI.”

Booker said there were a number of things in the documents that “call into question what this candidates’ truthfulness is, direct assault on the truthfulness of this candidate that should have been more thoroughly investigated.”

All three undecided Republican senators – that’s Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Jeff Flake – are in the SCIF reviewing the report right now.

Christine Blasey Ford’s lawyers named eight people they thought the FBI should interview in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray. 

In their letter, they included the names of a polygrapher, Ford’s husband, her friend, and several others who provided sworn declarations to the Senate Judiciary Committee attesting to what she had told them about the alleged assault previously.

Here’s a portion of the four-page letter:

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a key swing vote on Kavanaugh, is reviewing the report now, according to her office.

She did not attend the briefing this morning.

Protesters are gathering in Washington, DC, to oppose Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. You can watch our live coverage here.

Here’s the anticipated schedule of events:

Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, is on the cover of Time magazine.

The cover features an illustration of the words and phrases from her testimony. Her words were arranged into an image of her taking an oath.

Here’s a look at the cover:

Lawmakers are currently on track to take a key procedural vote on Friday, which could be a make-or-break moment for the nomination, with a final confirmation vote possible on Saturday.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set the process in motion last night by filing cloture on the nomination, but the exact timing of votes may hinge on what happens over the next 24 or so hours as Republicans and Democrats review the findings of an FBI investigation into allegations against the nominee.

It’s up to these five key senators: Republicans Jeff Flake of Arizona, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine and Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota have not yet indicated how they will vote on the nomination and have said they were awaiting the results of the FBI inquiry before making up their minds.

Some or all of those senators could announce how they plan to vote today or they may wait until Friday’s initial vote to show their hand.

How they’ll get there: Senate Republicans only need a simple majority – or 50 votes if all 100 senators vote and Vice President Mike Pence breaks a tie – to successfully clear the procedural hurdle set up by Friday’s initial vote and move forward to a final vote.

The final confirmation vote must meet the same threshold to be successful after the GOP invoked the so-called “nuclear option” to allow for a simple majority vote to break filibusters on a Supreme Court nominee rather than the standard 60-vote threshold.

That move helped Republicans confirm Justice Neil Gorsuch and marked another step in a years-long partisan fight over judicial confirmation rules.

If Republicans have enough votes during Friday’s initial vote to move forward to a final confirmation vote on Saturday that may mean enough votes are locked in to confirm Kavanaugh. As a result, Friday’s vote will be viewed as a critical test of whether the nomination can succeed.

The public is expected to only be able to gauge what’s in the FBI’s findings in two ways.

As of now, there are no plans to release the report to the public.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley smiles as he heads for a secure meeting space inside the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center so to review Brett Kavanaugh's FBI report.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley says he had a “good feeling” leaving the meeting with Republican senators on the FBI report.

Asked about Democratic charges the investigation wasn’t thorough, Grassley said he didn’t communicate with the FBI or White House about it. He said that last week Democrats were focused on Mark Judge, and then the list expanded to 23 names.

“They’re moving the goalposts all the time,” he said.

Grassley said of the process: “I’ve been up against a demolition derby, that’s how I feel about it.”

Grassley said he wasn’t concerned about whether any Democrats voted for Kavanaugh – only confirmation. “It’s only significant that he gets 51 votes,” he said.

Sen. Jeff Flake arrives at the Office of Senate Security, which houses a 'sensitive compartmented information facility,' or SCIF, where Senators are able to view the report about alleged sexual assaults by Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

When asked by CNN’s Ted Barrett if he was more inclined to support Judge Kavanaugh after leaving the senators briefing on the FBI report, Senator Flake responded, “we’ve seen no additional corroborating information,” and added he needs to finish reviewing the material.

Flake also said he agrees with Senator Collins’ pronouncement that the investigation was thorough.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders speaks to reporters outside the White House.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders repeated this morning that the President is “confident in his selection and his support of Judge Kavanaugh,” while speaking to reporters on the White House driveway following a FOX News interview.

She wouldn’t say if the President has spoken to wavering Republicans or Democrats to shore up votes, but said, “The President has well as a number of White House officials have been engaged throughout the process. We’ve talked to a number of senators and we’ll continue to do so until the vote takes place.”

Asked if Kavanaugh has the votes for confirmation, she said, “We certainly hope so. We feel, as Chairman Grassley said a few minutes ago, we didn’t learn anything new. And based on what we knew before we felt very confident.” 

Asked by CNN’s Jeremy Diamond about the dozens of leads that were not investigated by the FBI, Sanders said, “We allowed the FBI to do exactly what they do best, we haven’t micromanaged this process. We accommodated all of the senate’s requests. The President was very clear about that.”

Sen. Mitch McConnell just spoke from the Senate floor where he assailed Democrats for trying to “smear this good man, to drag him through the mud” and asked, “What did we learn? What do the facts and the evidence tell us after 7 FBI investigations?”

“The fact is that these allegations have not been corroborated. None of the allegations have been corroborated by the seven investigations. Not in the new FBI investigation. Not anywhere,” he said.

McConnell added, “The facts do not support the allegations levied at Judge Kavanaugh’s character. Instead, many of the facts actually support Judge Kavanaugh’s strong unequivocal denial.”

Sen. Susan Collinsarrives at the Office of Senate Security, which houses a 'sensitive compartmented information facility,' or SCIF, where Senators are able to view the report about alleged sexual assaults by Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, on Capitol Hill.

CNN’s Jeremy Herb caught up with Senator Susan Collins, a crucial swing vote, after the senators briefing on the FBI report.

She did not indicate how she would vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation but said of the FBI report “it appears to be a very thorough investigation.”

She added she would read the report in full later today.

CNN’s Manu Raju reports that this comment from Collins is “hugely significant” as it suggests that she is satisfied with how this investigation went, making it clear she’s siding with the Republicans on that key question about whether or not this investigation was done thoroughly and completely.

“She believes it has,” Raju just said. “Now, what does that mean for her vote? We don’t have final answer on that yet.”

The FBI report, according to congressional sources and as well as sources briefed on the documents, includes not only the interview summaries but also information that came in to the FBI’s tip line.  

CNN has reported on a number of individuals from Yale who said they had reached out to the FBI to report information but had not been subsequently contacted by the FBI.   

One source says the FBI report is more than 1,000 pages.

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, speaking after he was briefed on Brett Kavanaugh’s FBI report, said that going into this process Democrats had “many fears” that the investigation’s parameters would “constrain the FBI from getting all the facts.”

Schumer added that he disagrees with Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley’s earlier assessment that the investigation “found no hint of misconduct.”

He also criticized the process of reviewing the document itself, stating, “The fact that there’s only one document in there for 100 senators is another example of constraining the ability of all senators and the American public to see the whole truth and nothing but.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the Ranking Member on the Senate Judiciary Commitee, said at a press availability after viewing Brett Kavanaugh’s FBI report that “the most notable part of this report is what’s not in it. As we noted by the white house, the FBI did not interview Brett Kavanaugh. Nor did the FBI interview Dr. Blasey Ford.”

“Democrats agreed that the investigation’s scope should be limited,” Feinstein said. “We did not agree that the White House should tie the FBI’s hands.”

Multiple senior GOP aides expressed confidence Wednesday night that Kavanaugh was on the path to confirmation – though all acknowledged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell still hasn’t received any commitments or assurances from the undecided senators.

The expectation, aides say, is barring some significant new disclosure in the FBI inquiry, they’ll make it over the vote threshold to get Kavanaugh confirmed.

In other words, the week-long delay is almost over. The FBI supplemental background check is officially on Capitol Hill. The first vote is scheduled for Friday.

This is moving forward, one way or another.

Programming note: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and a number of Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold an 11 a.m. ET press conference where they will share reactions to the FBI’s supplemental background check for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

We’ll likely carry it live here or, when it’s time, refresh this page and it should appear in the video player up above.

[Note: We said it was 10 a.m. ET in a previous version of this post. It will be at 11 a.m. ET. Sorry about that.]

The FBI’s background investigation report is not public. It will likely never be public. There will be no summary. There will be no release. So don’t expect one.

There are 109 people who have clearance to access what was delivered to Capitol Hill at 2:30 Thursday morning – 100 senators, four majority committee staffers, four minority committee staffers and one committee clerk.

That’s it.

There is a single copy of the FBI’s findings. It is currently in a vault, in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility – or SCIF, if you’d like to use the Washington short hand. And it cannot leave the room.

Senators can’t bring their phones into the SCIF when they go to review the documents. If they take notes, the notes must be left in the room when the senator leaves.

Senators are not allowed to discuss or characterize in detail what they’ve read (though they most certainly will try).

In other words, what’s read in the room, stays in the room.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley just issued statement that says there’s nothing in the FBI report that “we didn’t already know” and, therefore, “it’s time to vote.”

Read the full statement:

The FBI reached out to ten people, but ultimately conducted nine “comprehensive interviews.”

We know, and have reported, that the FBI spoke with the following six people:

CNN is working to determine the others to whom the FBI spoke or reached out.

CNN’s Athena Jones is on one of several busses carrying protesters bound for Washington, D.C., who are hoping to deliver a message to the undecided senators and stop Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination.

Elizabeth Kennedy, a New York voter from Maine, said for Republican Sen. Susan Collins — one of the few undecided senators — it all comes down to her “legacy.”

She asked, “Is it going to be a shameful one that does not represent the constituents of Maine and honor our voices, or will it be one that impacts the survivors in a positive way and sends a clear message for generations to come?”

Watch:

Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to be the next Supreme Court justice will be decided today. 

To be clear, it might not be made public whether he has the votes for confirmation by the end of the day, but for the five undecided senators who will determine his fate, the time to decide is now.

All 100 senators will be able to review the supplemental background investigation throughout the day. A reminder that barring some dramatic disclosure in from that inquiry, 95 senators have already made up their minds.

How the remaining groups sees the new background information – and how it factors into their decisions – will drive the day. 

The bottom line: It all comes down to five senators – three Republicans and two Democrats – and what they see today behind closed doors. The week-long delay is almost over. The FBI supplemental background check is officially on Capitol Hill. The first vote is scheduled for tomorrow. This is moving, one way or another.

Sen. Dick Durbin said that while he would wanted to see the FBI report before commenting on it he was troubled by the overall number of witnesses interviewed.

“This issue, because of its gravity and because of its publicity, deserves the professional attention of the FBI,” he said.

The Democratic senator also questioned why there was just one copy of the report for senators to review, which could make it difficult for each member to spend time reading its contents.

“If it is a long report, hundreds of pages, I’m not saying 100 copies need to be made, but let’s make it easy enough to members have an opportunity to personally review it and make their own evaluations,” he said.

Behind these doors is the area where the FBI report being held. This is as far as the press can go.

It’s the Senate SCIF in the Capitol Visitors Center – the secure area where senators will be able to read the report this morning in scheduled shifts. Judiciary Committee Republican staff got the first look at the FBI’s findings at 8 a.m. 

Now, as of 9 a.m., Democrats took over the room. 

It will rotate, every other hour, for the rest of the day. 

Deputy press secretary Raj Shah told CNN this morning that the White House feels “very confident” that when the senators have an opportunity to review the FBI’s background file “they are going to be comfortable voting to confirm judge Brett Kavanaugh.”

He accused Democrats demanding the FBI look into Kavanaugh’s drinking over reports of memory lapses as being disingenuous: “All the folks demanding this type of investigation in the senate are Democrats who already pledged to vote no,” Shah said. “They don’t want additional information to make a decision. They want to delay this process.”

See it:

Members of the Senate are set Thursday to begin reviewing the supplemental FBI background file for Brett Kavanaugh as the White House says the additional interviews from the FBI show no corroboration of allegations against the embattled Supreme Court nominee.

The results of the investigation could have a critical effect on whether key swing votes in the Senate decide to advance Kavanaugh to the high court after a protracted confirmation process following allegations of sexual assault.

View from the White House: A White House official told CNN on Thursday that they found the report shows no corroboration of the allegations of sexual misconduct made against Kavanaugh in recent weeks. According to the official, nine people were interviewed by the FBI for the investigation. 

The FBI, however, is not tasked with drawing conclusions, and only provided the White House with summaries of the interviews they conducted.

It all comes down to these four senators: The most consequential conclusions will be made by four key swing votes on Kavanaugh’s nomination: Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. 

The file was delivered to the committee in a sealed box at 2:30 a.m. ET, according to a committee source, who also told CNN that it was placed in a vault that already holds Kavanaugh’s six other background investigation reports.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, tweeted early Thursday morning that the committee had received the report and that members of the committee would have equal access to it.

Senators will start reading the FBI’s investigation summaries on Brett Kavanaugh at 8 a.m. ET Thursday, Senate sources said.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley will read the summaries first, followed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the committee. 

Sources said the Senate may physically receive the investigation summaries Wednesday night, but the reading starts Thursday morning.

The Senate will remain in session Wednesday. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could still file a cloture vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination if the report arrives to Capitol Hill Wednesday night, aides said.

Demonstrators gathered Wednesday evening outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, to protest Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, speaking to protesters from the steps of the Supreme Court, said any objection to Kavanaugh’s confirmation isn’t about politics.

“This isn’t about politics or anything else, who wins the election makes its appointments,” she said.

Pelosi continued: “We don’t like some of the point of view of some of the people who are going to the court, but if they are true to the Constitution of the United States, then there is some level of respect. But if we cannot even respect their integrity, their commitment to fact and truth when they testify, that’s a problem.”

Tommie Sunshine shot this video of demonstrators letting out a big roar outside the Brooklyn Supreme Court, where they gathered Wednesday evening to participate in the “Stop Kavanaugh” vigil.

Similar vigils were held across the country on Wednesday.

Watch the moment:

The FBI interviewed more people Wednesday as part of its investigation into the allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct leveled against Brett Kavanaugh, a person familiar with the interviews told CNN.

This person did not elaborate on how many people or whom was interviewed Wednesday. 

As of 5 p.m. ET Wednesday, the White House had still not received Kavanaugh’s background file from the bureau, though officials are confident they will receive it “soon,” they said. 

Another source added this morning that since the FBI interviews were still not finished, the FBI interview summaries were more likely to go to the hill Thursday.

Republican senators, coming out of their afternoon GOP lunch, thought they could get them as early as tonight. 

CNN’s Sunlen Serfaty, citing multiple sources on Capitol Hill and those close to the process, reported that the White House could get the FBI report on Brett Kavanaugh tonight.

Once the White House receives the report, it will be sent to Capitol Hill for all 100 senators to review, Serfaty reported.

Senators will be able to sit down and read the report in a secure location. It’s unclear if the report will be made public.

After that, the person to watch is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“He has been very clear that he intends to move very quickly on this, to essentially start the procedural wheels turning,” Serfaty noted.

If the report comes out tonight, he’ll likely file a cloture vote, which will show what senators will vote for Kavanaugh and what senators will vote against him. 

That could set up a final vote for Friday, Serfaty said. 

But everything depends on the timing of the report.

Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is calling into question the credibility of the additional FBI background investigation without interviews from Brett Kavanaugh and accuser Christine Blasey Ford.

In a statement, Feinstein raised questions about the investigation.

Read her full statement below:

Undecided GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she still has not made her mind on Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Murkowski continued: “Whatever they are. I want to see them. So that’s what I’m waiting for. Everyone has asked, ‘What’s it going to say? How am I going to react?’ I have no idea, in truth and fairness. I have no idea, so I’m going wait.”

Asked if she needs to give a green light to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell before he files for cloture, she said, “I am not the Majority Leader. I don’t know what (the) Majority Leader is going to do.”

“I do believe that there was an agreement to have the FBI do their report. They’re going to do that. And we’re going to figure out where we go from there,” she added. 

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley says he hasn’t talked to the FBI directly about when the White House will receive the investigation report, but he defended the report’s scope and confidential access.

When asked when the report would be released, Grassley replied, “All I can tell you, I have not talked to the FBI. I have not talked to the White House. We had some indication at the Republican meeting it would be sometime this afternoon. That’s all I know.”

He also defended the FBI not interviewing Brett Kavanaugh or Christine Blasey Ford, saying, “The FBI knows everything from six other interviews… It seems to me the only reason the FBI would be able to do anything else is if they read that entire record and there was something unanswered.”

On Wednesday, Ford’s attorneys sent Grassley a letter saying Ford was prepared to hand over relevant documents, but that “we have not yet heard from the FBI about scheduling an interview with her.”

Grassley also defended the decision to keep the report private, saying, “I’ve been reading FBI reports for 38 years, and none of them have ever been made public.”

On Tuesday, Democratic Sens. Chris Coons and Dianne Feinstein suggested the findings should be kept private, while Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and John Cornyn called for a public release. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has since announced that the report would not be made publicly available.

Undecided Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said President Trump’s comments last night about Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony “were wrong.”

He would not answer if they will play into his decision on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Manchin said he still remains “completely undecided” and is awaiting the FBI report.

When asked at the Atlantic Festival about President Trump’s mocking of Christine Blasey Ford, Sen. Kamala Harris called his comments “mean” and unnecessary.

“I can’t think of anything more – inappropriate is not descriptive enough. It’s mean,” Harris said.

Harris pointed out that one of the most searing moments of Ford’s testimony was when she recounted Kavanaugh and Mark Judge allegedly laughing at her – something she said she would never forget.

“We had the President of the United States at a rally urging a crowd to laugh at her.” Harris said. “It’s mean and completely without any level of empathy about what her experience was … What was the purpose of saying that and doing that?

She continued: “I can’t understand it and I am embarrassed that the President of the United States would do that to this woman.”

Watch the moment:

The White House hasn’t received the FBI’s background investigation on Judge Brett Kavanaugh yet, but they expect to get it this afternoon, a source close to the process said.

Once the White House receives the information, they say it will be less than an hour before it’s up on Capitol Hill for review. 

The White House won’t say if they’ll put out a statement when they receive the report.

Sen. Jeff Flake told CNN earlier today that White House Counsel Don McGahn had been in contact with him as well as Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.

Emerging from a GOP lunch, Sen. Bob Corker said Republican senators were told that FBI interview notes on the Brett Kavanaugh investigation may be available this afternoon.

Several GOP senators, however, have said it’s still not known for sure when the notes will be released.

Senators were told it’s “likely” they will receive the interview notes – known as 302s – this afternoon, which they could then review in a secure location in the Capitol.

Corker, a Republican from Tennessee, said the timing on the vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination is unclear, but the plan is still to vote this week.

Sen Chris Coons on the Judiciary Committee noted the intensifying attacks from Republicans on Christine Blasey Ford, saying that the mood has ratcheted up in the past few days.

“I think they’re taking a risk by having the president publicly mock Dr. Ford and in having the majority attack her credibility, but that’s their decision, not mine,” he added.

Coons said he has “no idea” about how the results of the FBI investigation will be handled.

Red-state Democrat Doug Jones said that when the President gets in front of a crowd, as he was last night when he talked about Christine Blasey Ford, he winds up “speaking to the base at the expense of the country” and said that he wished that Trump “could control himself when he gets in front of a crowd like that.”

“It’s just incredibly unfortunate that he…continues to create the divides in this country when he has an opportunity to bring people together,” he said. “He’s got that opportunity but he refuses to take it.”

The Senate Judiciary Committee will put out a press release when Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s background check is delivered, the GOP press staff said.

The FBI has launched an investigation into allegations against Kavanaugh after senators heard from the judge and Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused him of sexual assault.

Before moving forward with Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, Sen. Lindsey Graham told CNN he’s waiting on three senators to determine if they have any “reasonable” follow up on the FBI investigation.

The South Carolina Republican was likely speaking about Republican Sens. Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, who are considered key votes on Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Asked if he’d be OK if they asked for more information from the probe, Graham said, “I want to be reasonable to the three senators who have asked for FBI validation.”

The senator said lawmakers should get some of the FBI’s report today.

Asked if Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should hold off on filing a cloture vote, Graham said, “That’s up to him. But he needs to talk to these three senators.”

Sen. Jeff Flake spoke with CNN’s Manu Raju about Trump’s comments at last night’s rally, saying the comments would not affect his vote.

“You can’t blame other people for what the President says,” Flake said, but added the comments were “obviously insensitive and appalling, frankly.”

When asked if the FBI should investigate Kavanaugh’s comments on his drinking during his testimony, Flake said, “I think what the FBI ought to do and is doing is looking at credible allegations to corroborate what Dr. Ford or Debbie Ramirez brought forward.”

When asked if White House counsel Don McGahn has been in contact, Flake said, “Yeah, I’ve been talking to them.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a key swing vote who could confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, said Wednesday afternoon, “I thought the President’s comments yesterday mocking Dr. Ford were wholly inappropriate and in my view unacceptable.”

But will they affect her vote? “I am taking everything into account,” she said.

The White House has announced that press secretary Sarah Sanders will hold a briefing at 1 p.m. ET. We’ll cover it live on CNN.

Reporters are sure to ask about President Trump mocking Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony at his rally last night, as well as the FBI investigation around Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

A rarity: These briefings are increasingly rare in President Trump’s White House. Sarah Sanders held only one briefing the entire month of September, on September 10. The briefing lasted 44 minutes, but Council of Economic Advisers chief Kevin Hassett spoke at the top. There were five in August and three in July. One was just 13 minutes.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, when asked about how the President mocked Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony last night, said he’d tell Trump to “knock it off” — but then added that it “can be worse.”

He added, “But it can be worse, you can actually kill somebody’s cat and puncture their tires to get them to shut up,” a reference, he said, to Bill Clinton accuser Kathleen Willey’s past claims that someone killed her cat and slashed her tires.

What Trump said: Speaking at a campaign rally Tuesday night, Trump cast doubt on Ford’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by mocking her for not knowing the answers to questions such as how she had gotten to the high school party where she says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her, an allegation he has repeatedly denied. 

“’I had one beer.’ Well do you think it was… ‘Nope. It was one beer,’” Trump said at the rally. “Oh good. How did you get home? ‘I don’t remember.’ How did you get there? ‘I don’t remember.’ Where is the place? ‘I don’t remember.’ How many years ago was it? ‘I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know.’”

Watch more from Graham:

Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Trump, defended his remarks mocking Christine Blasey Ford this morning when asked by reporters if it was appropriate.

She added that Trump was simply “pointing out factual inconsistencies.”

President Trump tweeted this morning that the people he sees at his rallies are “really angry at the vicious and despicable way Democrats are treating Brett Kavanaugh.”

The President has had a number of rallies since Christine Blasey Ford’s allegation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her was made public, and Trump has frequently criticized the Democrats for trying to destroy him and hurt the judge’s family.

Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal called President Trump’s comments last night about Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony a “vile” attack on Ford — and all sexual assault survivors.

“This vile mocking attack on a powerfully credible, immensely powerfully eloquent survivor of sexual assault is a mark of disrespect and disregard not only for Dr. Blasey but for the entire survivor community. It shows dramatically why sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes in the country,” Blumenthal said on CNN’s New Day.

He continued:

Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican who is seen as one of the senators who will make or break Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination, was just asked about President Trump’s mocking of Christine Blasey Ford.

“The President’s comments were just plain wrong,” she said.

She would not say if that would affect her vote.

Watch the moment:

Sen. Jeff Flake, a key Republican swing vote on the fate of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, pointedly rebuked President Trump for mocking Christine Blasey Ford.

“There’s no time and no place for remarks like that. To discuss something this sensitive at a political rally is just not right. It’s just not right. I wish he hadn’t had done it,” Flake told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie on “Today,” adding, “It’s kind of appalling.”

What Trump said: Speaking at a campaign rally Tuesday night, Trump cast doubt on Ford’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by mocking her for not knowing the answers to questions such as how she had gotten to the high school party where she says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her, an allegation he has repeatedly denied. 

“’I had one beer.’ Well do you think it was… ‘Nope. It was one beer,’” Trump said at the rally. “Oh good. How did you get home? ‘I don’t remember.’ How did you get there? ‘I don’t remember.’ Where is the place? ‘I don’t remember.’ How many years ago was it? ‘I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know.’”

Watch more:

President Trump held a rally last night in Mississippi, where he said Brett Kavanaugh was a deserving nominee and even mocked one of the judge’s accusers.

Here are the key lines:

Our live coverage of the developments surrounding Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s FBI investigation has concluded for the evening, but we’ll be back first thing tomorrow. Stay with CNN Politics for the latest.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley just issued a new statement regarding Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s FBI investigation that said he was “confident that the FBI agents tasked with this responsibility will not succumb to public political pressure” and hoped Democrats wouldn’t “interfere” in the investigation.

Lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and FBI General Counsel Dana Boente on Tuesday, saying they have received no response from the FBI after offering Ford’s full cooperation with the investigation last Friday.

Debra Katz and Michael Bromwich say they have sent the FBI multiple letters and emails that include names of witnesses and evidence “that would likely assist the FBI” in its investigation.

They also write, “This afternoon, we learned of media reports that the FBI does not intend to interview either Dr. Ford or Judge Kavanaugh. We hope that this reporting is inaccurate.”

“It is inconceivable that the FBI could conduct a thorough investigation of Dr. Ford’s allegations without interviewing her, Judge Kavanaugh, or the witnesses we have identified in our letters to you.”

They are requesting a call with either Wray, Boente, or the agent conducting the Kavanaugh investigation Tuesday afternoon.

President Donald Trump expressed guarded optimism on Tuesday his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will soon be confirmed, even as he grows more frustrated by the delays and scandal plaguing a confirmation process he once believed bulletproof.

It was the second day in a row Trump has flashed with discontent at the nomination process, which he once believed – based on predictions from aides – would be complete by the start of the Supreme Court’s term this week.

Watching Kavanaugh mired in allegations of decades-old drunkenness, Trump has become exasperated the “central casting” nominee he selected is now viewed differently by much of the country.

“I think that Judge Kavanaugh’s doing pretty well, it seems to me, over the last 24 hours,” Trump told reporters before departing for Philadelphia earlier today, where he was speaking to a group of electricians.

Citing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, with whom he’s grown annoyed over his handling of the Kavanaugh matter, Trump expressed his wish for a Friday vote.

In recent days, Trump has complained privately that the Kentucky senator let the drama surrounding the Supreme Court nominee get out of hand.

McConnell has responded to that criticism by appearing on the Senate floor every day for the last week – with the exception of Thursday, when Kavanaugh testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee – to vehemently defend Kavanaugh while placing the blame squarely on the Democrats.

In a series of tweets, Debbie Ramirez’s attorney, John Clune, said that they have provided the FBI the names of more than 20 “additional witnesses,” but suggested that the FBI was not carrying out a “serious investigation.”

Ramirez had a “detailed and productive interview” with the FBI on Sunday, Clune said, during which she identified witnesses “who may have corroborating evidence.”

“Although we do not know the status of the investigation, we are not aware of the FBI affirmatively reaching out to any of those witnesses. Though we appreciated the agents who responded on Sunday, we have great concern that the FBI is not conducting—or not being permitted to conduct—a serious investigation.”

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton participates in a discussion during the 2018 Atlantic Festival

Speaking at The Atlantic Festival, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for the FBI to “conduct as thorough of an investigation as they possibly can, with whatever restraints are imposed upon them.”

Clinton also noted that she had watched Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony and said she “found her very credible.”

“I felt a great swell of pride that she would be willing to put herself out there under these circumstances,” said Clinton.

She added that “there’s been a tremendous imbalance on women’s lives, women’s narratives. They’ve been historically dismissed, condescended to. At some point it just is time to say, ‘enough.’”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday that Democrats have a series of demands before a vote on Kavanaugh – publicly release the directive given to the FBI, an FBI briefing to senators, and a public release of the FBI report.

“We are getting report after report of people who call the FBI Hotline, the tips line, and are never called back,” Schumer said. “People who claim - we don’t know the veracity of these claims - but people who claim to have new and compromising information.”

Earlier Tuesday, Democratic Sens. Chris Coons and Dianne Feinstein suggested the findings should be kept private, while Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and John Cornyn called for a public release. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has since announced that the report would not be made publicly available.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who described Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s testimony last week as “hysterical,” explained Tuesday she decided to use that word because of its connection to women.

In an interview for the Atlantic’s “Women of Washington” series, Pelosi noted that if a woman were to behave the way Kavanaugh did before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, she would be treated differently.

“Hysterical; the word stems from the same word as hysterectomy,” Pelosi said. “You know it’s a word that is identified with women being very emotional and the rest, so I chose that word very specifically.”

The two words originate from the Greek word hystera, which means uterus or womb.

“To me it was behavior that was not suitable for a person who would be a judge on any court much less the Supreme Court of the United States,” Pelosi said.

Read more here.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Tuesday that the supplemental FBI report on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will not be made publicly available.

Sen. Lindsey Graham

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has called for the FBI’s Kavanaugh investigation to be released to the public once complete, in contrast with Democratic Sens. Chris Coons and Dianne Feinstein, who have suggested it should remain private.

Meanwhile, Republican Sen. John Cornyn said Tuesday that “there does need to be some sort of public statement – if not the (FBI) reports themselves,” adding that the accusations had already piqued public interest.

What happens when the FBI has finished: When the FBI completes its investigation, it will send its findings to the White House, and the information will be added to Kavanaugh’s background file, which is then sent to the Senate.

Only then can senators see it, and only senators and a limited number of staff have access to it.

There will likely be efforts to make the information public — especially by whichever side it helps – but don’t expect a big public report.

Graham seemed confident in Kavanaugh’s nomination, saying, “I think he’s gonna be just fine in terms of the vote… I think he’ll be a great judge for the court.”

However, Graham also warned of partisan feuding, saying, “Taking Kavanaugh down would unleash forces from the darkest side of politics in perpetuity. And if you think only one side is capable of doing this, you’re mistaken.”

“This is bottom,” he added. “If this is not bottom, help us all. God help us all. I believe this is bottom. At least I hope so.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the receipt of the FBI background report on Brett Kavanaugh won’t be used as a delay on the vote on the nomination.

McConnell, when asked how long he planned to give between the FBI report being sent to the Senate and when he calls for a vote, said, “It shouldn’t take long. As interesting as this all is I can’t imagine senators who want to read it won’t go over and read it.”

He added, it “won’t be used as a delay I can tell you that.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had called for 24 hours before the vote.

The New York Times said on Tuesday that it should not have allowed a staff writer who had tweeted negatively about Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, to report on the judge for a story published Monday.

Emily Bazelon, who is a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine and a fellow at Yale Law School, co-authored a story published on Monday about a bar fight in 1985 during which Kavanaugh was accused of throwing ice at another customer. The Times’ story was based on a police report about the incident.

But Bazelon had posted a tweet in July in which she called Kavanaugh a “5th vote for a hard-right turn on voting rights and so much more that will harm the democratic process & prevent a more equal society.”  

That tweet drew the attention of a number of critics who contended Bazelon’s opposition to Kavanaugh presented a conflict of interest for The Times.

Rachel Mitchell — the Arizona prosecutor Senate Judiciary Republicans hired to question Brett Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford at the hearing last week — is still in Washington, DC.

A source said she is still helping with the committee’s work on the nomination. She is still technically an employee of chairman Chuck Grassley’s and will be here likely until the nomination goes through. 

Mitchell is available to help members whenever they need her — just like the rest of the Judiciary Committee team (the committee hired a bunch of additional people for the nomination, and she’s one of them.)  

Democratic Sen. Chris Coons weighed in on the next steps of the FBI investigation into Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, saying that the report should be kept Senate confidential so that all 100 senators can see it before they vote.

Coons also said that Kavanaugh’s temperament on Thursday made him “very uncomfortable” and that he “crossed a line”— he viewed Kavanaugh’s outburst as “advancing a partisan view of the investigation.”

“We expect our judges, even though it may be exceptionally difficult at times, very difficult under these circumstances, to maintain a judicial temperament,” he said.

President Trump, stopping to speak to reporters while departing the White House, said that it’s a “scary time in America” for young men.

Answering questions about his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who is under FBI investigation after being accused of sexually assaulting a woman when they were both in high school, Trump said…

Trump’s comments echoed remarks his son Donald Jr.’s made in an interview with the Daily Mail on Monday. When he was asked if he is more afraid for his sons or his daughters in the wake of the reaction to the allegations against Kavanaugh, Trump Jr. said: “I mean, right now, I’d say my sons … When I see what’s going on right now, it’s scary.”

Trump also made similar comments last week when he was asked about his message to young men in America.

“Somebody could come and say 30 years ago, 25 years ago, 10 years ago, 5 years ago, he did a horrible thing to me. He did this, he did that, he did that and, honestly, it’s a very dangerous period in our country,” Trump said during a news conference last week in New York.

Watch more:

President Trump said Tuesday his Supreme Court nominee Judge Kavanaugh is “doing very well” but said his fate will depend on an ongoing FBI investigation.

“A lot is going to depend on what comes back from the FBI in terms of their additional — number 7 — investigation,” he said on the South Lawn.

He expressed optimism a vote on Kavanaugh could come by the end of the week, citing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“Hopefully as Mitch said they’ll have a vote by the end of the week and it will be a positive vote,” he said.

Kavanaugh, he said, is “fighting very hard for his reputation, for his family.”

Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn, Trump also drew a line on lying to Congress.

“I don’t think you should lie to Congress and there are a lot of people over the past year who have lied to Congress,” he said. “For me, that would not be acceptable.”

CNN’s Manu Raju just asked Senator Lisa Murkowski if she would be ready to vote if FBI report not done by Friday.

“I don’t know what the status of the FBI report and I think what we need to do is wait for the FBI to conclude its report,” she answered.

A protestor then intruded on gaggle, and she escaped onto an awaiting senators-only elevator where none other than Senator Susan Collins was on.

Senate Judiciary ranking member Dianne Feinstein told reporters that she doesn’t know if the FBI investigation has been expanded to include all of the witnesses that Democrats would like to see. 

“We don’t know at this point. That’s why we wrote the letter asking for the names of people who would be covered. And of course, it would be given to us on a classified basis but at least we would know” she told reporters.

Feinstein indicated that she’s had many women approach her about stories of sexual misconduct and confidentiality, saying, it’s “not an easy subject.” 

When asked how the American people will have confidence in the investigation if it’s not made public, Feinstein said, “Well, let’s see… I can’t say because I don’t know what the investigation will say.” 

“I believe it’s too soon. It’s Tuesday and we have to put all the facts together,” she said. “I don’t take it lightly, so we need to do our due diligence,” she said.”

Whether the Kavanaugh report will ever seen seen by the public is becoming a key issue. The White House ordered the FBI to do a supplemental background investigation. When the FBI completes its work, it sends what it has collected back to the White House. The White House then adds that information to the nominee’s background file, which is then sent to the Senate. Only then can senators see it, and only senators and a limited number of staff have access to it.

In other words, don’t expect some big public report. There will likely be efforts to make the information public — especially by whichever side it helps. But it’s not a clean process of public release.

When Chief Justice John Roberts opened the Supreme Court’s annual session on Monday, he declared from the bench, in traditional fashion, that the prior term was officially “now closed” and the new 2018-2019 term was “now convened.” 

It was the language of a fresh start. But there’s a hole on the bench.

The eight justices, painfully aware of what has transpired at the Capitol across the street with President Donald Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, are haunted by history.

The associate justices repositioned their tall black chairs on the two sides of Roberts, in their new order of alternating seniority without Kennedy. Four justices sat to Roberts’s right (Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Neil Gorsuch). But to his left, there were only three justices (Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Samuel Alito and Elena Kagan). 

At the end of the bench, where the new justice would sit, was an empty space and idle microphone.

Sen. Lindsey Graham — the Republican senator who accused Democrats of trying to destroy Brett Kavanaugh’s life during the Thursday Senate hearing — just released a new statement about the judge’s nomination.

Graham said he believes Kavanaugh will be confirmed — but he encouraged Trump to re-nominate Kavanaugh if he’s not as a way to appeal the Senate’s verdict.

Here’s Graham’s full statement: