Poll: More Americans oppose Kavanaugh nomination; believe accuser

More Americans believe the woman who first publicly accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault than believe the judge’s denials, and a majority say the claim would be disqualifying if true, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The poll, conducted by NPR, PBS Newshour and Marist, found that 32 percent of registered voters in the sample believe Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations, while 28 percent believe Kavanaugh’s denials. Another 40 percent of respondents who are registered voters said they are unsure who they believe.

If the allegation that Kavanaugh pinned Ford to a bed and groped her during a high school party in the 1980s is true, 59 percent of national adults polled said he should not be confirmed to the Supreme Court, while 29 percent said he should still be confirmed.

{mosads}A plurality of respondents — 43 percent — said they oppose Kavanaugh’s nomination, compared to 38 percent who said they support it, according to the poll.

The judge’s approval rating is also underwater in the new poll, where 31 percent of respondents said they have a favorable impression of him and 37 percent have an unfavorable view. Kavanaugh has garnered notably low approval ratings since his nomination was announced.

The poll surveyed 997 adults from Sept. 22-24 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. The subset of 802 registered voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 points.

The poll focused on allegations from Ford but was being conducted as Deborah Ramirez came forward to The New Yorker to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

Ramirez claimed that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a college party in the 1980s and thrust his genitals in her face. 

Kavanaugh has consistently denied both allegations against him and has pledged he will not withdraw his nomination.

The judge and Ford are set to testify on Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee about her claims, which President Trump and Republicans have more aggressively attacked in recent days.