Donald Trump apologises to 'innocent' Brett Kavanaugh during Supreme Court swearing-in ceremony
Donald Trump has apologised to new Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh for the "terrible pain and suffering" he went through during his confirmation process.
During a ceremonial swearing in at the White House, the president told Mr Kavanaugh, who was accused of sexual misconduct: "You, sir, under historic scrutiny, were proven innocent."
Mr Kavanaugh was confirmed as Mr Trump's second appointment to the highest court in America by 50 votes to 48 in the Senate on Saturday, the closest vote to confirm a justice since 1881.
It follows a tumultuous confirmation process in which two women - Dr Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez - accused the judge of historical sexual assaults. He denied all the claims.
The FBI conducted an additional investigation into the allegations, but it failed to find anyone who could corroborate the claims and Republicans forced a vote on the nomination in the face of ferocious opposition from Democrats and groups of protesters in Washington DC.
Mr Trump said Mr Kavanaugh’s opponents had carried out a “campaign of personal destruction based on lies and deception”.
“On behalf of our nation, I want to apologise to Brett and the entire Kavanaugh family for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure,” Mr Trump said at a ceremony attended by all the sitting justices, Mr Kavanaugh’s family and top admiration officials.
In his own remarks, the new justice tried to assure the American public that he would approach the job fairly.
He said the high court “is not a partisan or political institution” and assured he took the job with “no bitterness”.
“The Senate confirmation process was contentious and emotional. That process is over. My focus now is to be the best justice I can be,” he said.
Mr Kavanaugh will have his first day on the Supreme Court bench on Tuesday, when the justices will hear arguments in two cases about longer prison terms for repeat offenders.
The new justice’s four clerks all are women, the first time that has happened.
Mr Trump has been trying to energise Republicans ahead of next month's crucial mid-term elections by attacking Democrats for opposing Mr Kavanaugh.
Earlier on Monday he said Mr Kavanaugh was “caught up in a hoax that was set up by the Democrats".
“It was all made up, it was fabricated and it’s a disgrace,” he said.
He also called Mr Kavanaugh “a flawless person” and said “evil” people had tried to derail him with “false charges” and “false accusations".
The president initially said he found Dr Ford's Senate testimony "very credible", but at a subsequent campaign rally he mocked her and questioned the validity her statements.