US President Donald Trump on Monday celebrated the swearing-in of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court during a ceremony at the White House.

Trump, Kavanaugh and his predecessor, retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, emerged in the East Room to a standing ovation shortly after 7:00 p.m.

In his introductory remarks, quoted by The Hill, Trump addressed the sexual misconduct allegations that nearly derailed Kavanaugh’s nomination.

“On behalf of our nation, I want to apologize to Brett and the entire Kavanaugh family for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure,” he said. “Those who step forward to serve our country deserve a fair and dignified evaluation, not a campaign of political and personal destruction based on lies and deception.”

“What happened to the Kavanaugh family violates every notion of fairness, decency and due process. In our country, a man or woman must always be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty,” continued Trump.

Kavanaugh was officially sworn-in at a private ceremony on Saturday, but Monday’s public ceremony provided yet another opportunity for Trump and Republicans to tout a signature achievement.

Kavanaugh was confirmed by the Senate in narrow a 50-48 vote on Saturday, after a five-day supplementary FBI investigation into allegations by three separate women of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh.

One of the accusers, Christine Blasey Ford, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that Kavanaugh tried to rape her when they were teenagers.

Kavanaugh fiercely denied the claims, saying in his own testimony that they were part of an “orchestrated political hit” born out of Democratic frustration with Trump.

The brutal hearing sparked a supplemental FBI investigation into Kavanaugh's background and a week-long delay of the Senate vote.

The vote was made possible after Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ), who initially delayed Kavanaugh’s nomination, announced Friday that he would vote to confirm him.

Kavanaugh did not directly address the allegations on Monday evening, but asserted he would work to maintain the Supreme Court’s role as a non-partisan institution.

"I take this office with gratitude and no bitterness," Kavanaugh said. "On the Supreme Court, I will seek to be a force for stability and unity. My goal is to be a great justice for all Americans, and for all of America."