Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh wrote an op-ed that appeared in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday arguing he is an "independent, impartial judge" and conceding he "might have been too emotional" in his testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.
"I was very emotional last Thursday, more so than I have ever been," Kavanaugh writes in the Journal. "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. I hope everyone can understand that I was there as a son, husband and dad. I testified with five people foremost in my mind: my mom, my dad, my wife, and most of all my daughters."
Kavanaugh and California professor Christine Blasey Ford testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 27 after Ford accused the nominee of sexually assaulting her when they were both in high school. Kavanaugh vehemently denies the allegation.
During his testimony, Kavanaugh alternated between angrily yelling at Democrats on the committee and tearing up. He accused Democrats of creating "a calculated and orchestrated political hit, fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election. Fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record, revenge on behalf of the Clintons, and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups."
"I revere the Constitution," Kavanaugh writes in the op-ed. "I believe that an independent and impartial judiciary is essential to our constitutional republic. If confirmed by the Senate to serve on the Supreme Court, I will keep an open mind in every case and always strive to preserve the Constitution of the United States and the American rule of law."
