Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made it obvious with his fiery rhetoric from the Senate floor on Monday that he views the accusations against Brett Kavanaugh to be nothing more than a “smear” campaign against the stalwart conservative. But, according to Politico, he also is reportedly warning his colleagues in private that they need to make a decision on the Supreme Court nominee.
According to Republican senators who spoke to Politico, McConnell is planning to hold a floor vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation as early as next week, regardless of what the Senate Judiciary Committee decides to do, a bold move given several key Republicans have indicated their votes rest on the outcome of the hearing on Thursday.
Kavanaugh, as well as Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault, are set to share their testimony on Thursday.
McConnell is reportedly eager to force Senators to publicly decide where they stand on Kavanaugh, but he also has midterm motivations: he wants to put pressure on the red state Democrats his party hopes to defeat in November.
