Screengrab via CNN
- Former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum said on CNN that Christine Blasey Ford's testimony against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was "authentic" and would pose "a big problem for Brett Kavanaugh."
- A number of commentators observed that Ford appeared confident and convincing when recalling how Kavanaugh allegedly groped and attempted to rape her in the 1980s.
- Kavanaugh has categorically denied the allegations and delivered his own scorching testimony decrying his confirmation process as a "national disgrace."
Former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum said on CNN that professor Christine Blasey Ford's testimony against Brett Kavanaugh was convincing enough to pose a major hurdle for the Republican lawmakers trying to confirm him to the Supreme Court.
"I would say that just watching her, that she seems authentic," he said. "The emotional responses, even the humor that she emoted at times. Everything just seemed authentic, and that's a big problem for Brett Kavanaugh."
Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee throughout Thursday morning and afternoon, detailing her allegations that Kavanaugh once groped her and attempted to rape her at a party in the early 1980s.
Kavanaugh has categorically denied the allegations and delivered his own fiery testimony on Thursday afternoon, condemning his confirmation process as a "national disgrace" and said his family and reputation have been "totally and permanently destroyed by vicious and false accusations."
Ford's testimony yielded a number of emotional moments, where she detailed her memories of Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge laughing with each other during the alleged attack, and where she said she was 100% certain she hadn't mistaken Kavanaugh for another man.
Santorum said Republicans now have to grapple with how to weigh Ford's testimony against their support for Kavanaugh.
"They're not sure about the story - they want to believe Brett Kavanaugh because Brett Kavanaugh's a good and upstanding man and all these other things, and he said factually, 'This didn't happen,'" Santorum said. "And so I think most folks are saying, 'He's got a good track record; I believe him.'"
He later suggested that Republicans could decide that Kavanaugh is not worth the challenges in confirming him.
"Let's just be honest. I hate to say this. There are other alternatives than Brett Kavanaugh who can be a Supreme Court justice that are on the president's list who could get confirmed right now, and could get confirmed very quickly," Santorum said.
He wasn't the only commentator moved by Ford's testimony Thursday. Fox News host Chris Wallace called her remarks "extremely emotional, extremely raw, and extremely credible," while NBC News anchor Megyn Kelly also said she thought Ford's testimony could be "deeply problematic" for Kavanaugh's nomination.