Kavanaugh Releases Surprise Op-Ed Before Confirmation Vote

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh penned an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal on Thursday ahead of his confirmation vote this weekend, pledging that he will be a fair and impartial judge on the nation’s highest court.

Kavanaugh stressed that “a good judge must be an umpire—a neutral and impartial arbiter who favors no political party, litigant or policy” and who is not “swayed by public pressure.”

The op-ed comes as some have questioned whether he can remain politically neutral on the court after the Democratic Party launched a vicious smear campaign against him that dominated national headlines for nearly three weeks.

“My hearing testimony was forceful and passionate,” Kavanaugh wrote. “That is because I forcefully and passionately denied the allegation against me. At times, my testimony—both in my opening statement and in response to questions—reflected my overwhelming frustration at being wrongly accused, without corroboration, of horrible conduct completely contrary to my record and character. My statement and answers also reflected my deep distress at the unfairness of how this allegation has been handled.”

Kavanaugh said he was more emotional during the hearing than he has ever been before and that he “might have been too emotional at times” during his testimony due to “vile and violent threats” that his wife and daughters have faced in recent weeks.

“I do not decide cases based on personal or policy preferences,” Kavanaugh continued. “I am not a pro-plaintiff or pro-defendant judge. I am not a pro-prosecution or pro-defense judge. I am a pro-law judge.”

Kavanaugh called the judicial system the “crown jewel of our constitutional republic” and noted that the Supreme Court is “the last line of defense for the separation of powers, and for the rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution.”

Kavanaugh repeatedly stressed the importance of the U.S. Constitution and vowed that if confirmed to the Supreme Court, he will “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.”