WASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh says he was "sharp" and said "a few things I should not have" during a Senate hearing over sexual assault allegations last week.
Kavanaugh, writing in an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, said he regretted his tone at times during last week's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that included Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulted her when they were both teens.
"I was very emotional last Thursday, more so than I have ever been," Kavanaugh wrote. "I might have been too emotional at times. I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a few things I should not have said."
Kavanaugh promised in the piece, titled "I am an independent, impartial judge," that his tone was not an indication that his open-mindedness would change if the Senate confirms him to the nation's highest court.
"Going forward, you can count on me to be the same kind of judge and person I have been for my entire 28-year legal career: hardworking, even-keeled, open-minded, independent and dedicated to the Constitution and the public good," he wrote.
The editorial was published on the eve of a pivotal vote in his confirmation. A procedural vote on Kavanaugh's nomination is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. EDT Friday. If it passes, it could pave the way for a final vote as early as Saturday.
Republican leaders are increasingly optimistic about Kavanaugh's chances of confirmation after two undecided Republican senators, Jeff Flake and Susan Collins, gave initial positive reactions to an FBI report looking into the sexual assault allegations.
