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CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Susan Collins

Interview

Date: Oct. 6, 2018
Issues: Judicial Branch Criminal Justice

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DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: You are watching CNN's special coverage of the Kavanaugh confirmation vote. I'm Dana Bash, in Washington. And I would like to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world.

Breaking news this hour. The votes have been pledged, the decisions defended, and now all that is left is to make it official. Just about 30 minutes from now, the Senate is expected to confirm Brett Kavanaugh as the next associate justice of the Supreme Court, the final chapter after a week's long wrenching political battle that divided Congress and the country. Protesters outside the Supreme Court, and the capitol, as we speak.

And in the end, it was two previously undeclared, undecided Senators, Republican Susan Collins, of Maine, and Democrat Joe Manchin, of West Virginia, who sealed Kavanaugh's fate by saying they would vote yes, despite allegations of sexual assault and concerns about his temperament.

I spoke with Susan Collins just moments ago.

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BASH: Ford was really clear, under oath, under pain of perjury, that she was 100 percent certain that it was Brett Kavanaugh who sexually assaulted her. So given the decision you made, do you not believe her?

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS, (R), MAINE: Let me say this. First of all, I found Dr. Ford's testimony to be heart-wrenching, painful, compelling, and I believe that she believes what she testified to. I don't think she was coming forth with a political motive. Although, I do not think that she was treated well by those who breached her confidence. But we also had a case where Judge Kavanaugh came forward and said I'm 100 percent certain that this did not happen. So here you have two people, who are each 100 percent certain of what they're saying, under pain of perjury, so then I had to look at the other evidence, and was there corroborating evidence, and that's why I pushed hard for the FBI to do a supplemental background investigation.

BASH: So do you still think it is possible that he did it? You just don't have the proof to back that up?

COLLINS: I do not believe that Brett Kavanaugh was her assailant.

BASH: So --

COLLINS: I do believe she was assaulted. I don't know by whom. And I'm not certain when.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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