What we covered here
- The vote: The Senate has confirmed Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court.
- The protests: Police made arrests as crowds descended on Capitol Hill to protest Kavanaugh’s nomination.
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Senators vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination
223 Posts
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.
Senate confirms Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court
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 are forcibly removed from the Senate Gallery during vote
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 Kavanaugh nomination vote
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 stage sit-in at Supreme Court
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.
This is what protests look like in DC today
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:
Cornyn: "This has not been the Senate's finest hour"
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.
Why some protesters won't just get a fine
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 arrest protesters on the steps of the Capitol
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 chant "We believe survivors" outside the Supreme Court
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:
Final vote on Kavanaugh will start around 3:30 p.m. ET
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.
Trump tweets on today's Senate vote and Kavanaugh supporters
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.
Melania Trump says Kavanaugh is highly qualified for the job
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 set to deliver final vote in Kavanaugh's confirmation today
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.
Murkowski: I could not conclude Kavanaugh "is the right person for the court at this time"
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.”
101 arrests made after Kavanaugh protests
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:
- 78 people were arrested in Senate office buildings.
- 16 men were arrested at 1 p.m. ET on First Street. They were charged with crowding, obstructing, or incommoding.
- Six people were arrested in the Senate gallery in the Capitol building. They were charged with unlawful conduct.
- One woman was arrested on the fourth floor of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
Alyssa Milano: I don't have equal rights under the Constitution — yet
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.”
Sen. Steve Daines may still return for final vote tomorrow
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:
- The final vote would be 50-49 with Daines’ absence, enough to confirm Kavanaugh. That would tie the closest margin for any confirmed Supreme Court nominee in history.
- If Daines were to return, GOP senators would have to preside over the Senate to keep the chamber open until late into the night and potentially early morning Sunday. A source familiar with the matter said Daines has lined up GOP senators to do that if he returns. GOP Rep. Greg Gianforte plans to allow Daines to use his private plane to return after the wedding.
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.
Trump Jr. slams Manchin's "yes" vote for Kavanaugh
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:
Collins says she made her decision last night
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.
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