Republicans are digging in on Kavanaugh. Here’s why.
WASHINGTON — The first allegation against Brett Kavanaugh left Republicans rattled and nervous. The second left them angry and ready to fight back.
The GOP punched back hard Monday, seeming to cast aside — for now — worries that President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee could turn off female voters and sink their hopes of holding complete control of Congress following the November midterms. Rather than peel away from Kavanaugh, many GOP senators seemed to stiffen their resolve.
The decision was in part based on the details of a new allegation. Many Republicans dismissed a report published late Sunday in The New Yorker magazine as weak and unsubstantiated — allowing them to turn their aim on the media, a well-worn and effective tactic. And some Republicans worried that not doing enough to push Kavanaugh across the finish line would hurt their standing with the GOP base heading into the midterms.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., took the lead role in the fight. His resolve was evident in both public and private, according to those who were around him. He began his day at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, where he told confidants he didn’t intend to back down.