ChronoFive
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Setting the scene
The fight over Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination came after years of escalating partisan conflict over the Court. Republicans had blocked Merrick Garland in 2016, then confirmed Neil Gorsuch in 2017, and Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement opened a seat that could move the Court rightward for a generation. The #MeToo movement also made allegations of sexual misconduct central to American politics and workplace culture.
What happened
President Donald Trump nominated Kavanaugh in July 2018. During the confirmation process, Christine Blasey Ford alleged that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers; Kavanaugh denied the allegation. Ford and Kavanaugh testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in nationally watched hearings, followed by a limited FBI supplemental background investigation. The Senate confirmed Kavanaugh on October 6, 2018, by a 50-48 vote.
Why it still matters
The confirmation battle deepened public polarization over the Supreme Court, sexual assault allegations, Senate norms, and judicial legitimacy. Kavanaugh's seat helped create the conservative majority that later shaped decisions on abortion, administrative power, gun rights, and religion. Memorable detail: protesters filled the Senate halls and the steps of the Supreme Court, turning a judicial confirmation into one of the defining political spectacles of the Trump era.
Background
Brett Kavanaugh's 2018 Supreme Court nomination became a bitter confirmation battle after Christine Blasey Ford publicly accused him of sexual assault, allegations he denied.