Trump and Kavanaugh
Trump and KavanaughReuters

US President Donald Trump on Thursday backed Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh shortly after he concluded his testimony at a Senate hearing on accusations of sexual assault.

"Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him. His testimony was powerful, honest, and riveting. Democrats’ search and destroy strategy is disgraceful and this process has been a total sham and effort to delay, obstruct, and resist. The Senate must vote!" tweeted Trump.

Kavanaugh had earlier offered a resounding defense of his character as he angrily denied the charges of sexual assault made against him by Christine Blasey Ford, reported The Hill.

Ford provided a harrowing account of an alleged assault against her by Kavanaugh when they were in high school, asserting that she had vivid recollections of Kavanaugh covering her mouth to stifle her screams at a summer party.

Kavanaugh followed with an emotional performance of his own, blasting senators for letting him twist in the wind for days after Ford’s allegations first surfaced.

He blasted the confirmation proceedings as “a national disgrace” and accused senators of letting the chamber’s constitutional role of “advice and consent” become twisted into a mission to “search and destroy.”

His testimony appeared to bolster the resolve of many Republicans, suggesting his confirmation could still be won in the Senate which is controlled by the GOP.

Leaving the hearing room, Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) said he was “optimistic” that Kavanaugh would be confirmed next week.

“I think it’s time to vote. The longer that the nomination remains open we know that more and more of these scurrilous, anonymous and uncorroborated allegations will be made,” Cornyn told reporters, according to The Hill.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), a senior member of the panel, said Kavanaugh helped save his nomination by responding forcefully to questions from Democratic senators and choking up at times when remembering the lifelong female friends who have stood by his defense.

“I think he’s saving it himself, he’s really good,” Hatch said. “He came across very, very well.”

“It was what someone who’s falsely accused ought to be like,” he added.

Republicans said Kavanaugh’s performance was strong enough to go ahead with a committee vote Friday, which would set him up for a final confirmation vote on the Senate floor Tuesday.

Asked if Kavanaugh would get confirmed, Hatch replied, “Oh yeah. It may be a party-line vote but he’ll get confirmed.”