Americans more divided after Kavanaugh hearing: poll

Americans are starkly divided along partisan lines in response to the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, a poll released Monday found.

The CBS News poll found that roughly a quarter of Americans would be angry, regardless of the outcome of Kavanaugh’s confirmation process. Twenty-five percent said they’d be angry if he were confirmed, while 23 percent said they’d be angry if he were not confirmed.

Among Democrats, 47 percent said they would feel angry if Kavanaugh is confirmed, and 60 percent said they’d be satisfied if he were rejected.

{mosads}For Republicans, 46 percent said they’d feel angry if Kavanaugh were not confirmed to the Supreme Court. Forty-two percent of GOP respondents said they’d be “enthusiastic” if Kavanaugh were confirmed by the Senate, while 46 percent said they’d be satisfied.

Three-quarters of Republicans said the Senate should vote to confirm Kavanaugh, compared to just 10 percent of Democrats. 

Independents are split on Kavanaugh’s nomination, according to the poll, with 37 percent in favor of it and 32 percent opposed.

The CBS poll was conducted Sept. 28-30, and surveyed 2,485 people. The margin of error is 2.5 percentage points.

The poll was conducted after an intense hearing that featured Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who alleged that he pinned her to a bed and groped her during a high school party in the 1980s.

Following her searing testimony recounting the alleged incident, Kavanaugh fiercely denied the accusation and called it part of an “orchestrated political hit” against his nomination.

Two other women have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct as well. He has denied all the claims against him.

A vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation was delayed after President Trump approved requests from senators, led by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), for an FBI investigation into the accusations. The investigation is expected to last no more than one week.