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WASHINGTON, U.S. – In a moment set to go down in history, the U.S. Senate managed to put an end to a bitter, months-long political battle that divided the nation, and confirmed Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. 

Kavanaugh managed to secure a lifetime appointment as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, months after the U.S. President Donald Trump nominated him to replace the retired associate Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Despite facing explosive sexual assault accusations, emotional hearings and fiery protests that sparked a bitter partisan fight – the Senate confirmed the federal appeals court judge to the Supreme Court in a 50-48 final vote. 

The final vote on Saturday came a day after Republicans dismissed the accusations against the conservative judge and advanced his nomination process in a preliminary procedural vote, in which lawmakers backed the judge by 51 to 49.

Political war flares up

Emerging from a big setback last year, after Trump’s nominee, Neil Gorsuch was appointed to the Supreme Court, Democrats fought a bitter battle to keep Kavanaugh out of the nation’s top court.

Democrats protested against Kavanaugh’s nomination right from the start, fearing that his confirmation would tip the balance on the country’s top court to a 5-4 majority in favour of conservatives in crucial legal battles in the future.

However, Trump’s second Supreme Court appointment, which comes just ahead of the November mid-term elections, has handed Trump an important victory, which he is likely to use during campaigning over the next few weeks.

More importantly, Kavanaugh is set to strengthen the Supreme Court’s conservative leaning.

Lamenting the bitter blow on Saturday, Democrats accused the GOP of rushing the nomination process.

In his final summation, the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Kavanaugh did not belong on the bench since he had “obscured his views to the American people,” and “repeatedly misled the Senate.”

He added that Kavanaugh delivered one of the “bitterest and most partisan testimonies ever presented by a nominee.”

Following the vote, Schumer declared that Kavanaugh’s nomination was “one of the saddest moments in the history of the Senate.” 

He added, “This chapter will be a flashing red warning light of what to avoid.”

Schumer alleged that Republicans “conducted one of the least transparent, least fair, most biased processes in Senate history, slanting the table from the very beginning to produce their desired result.”

However, Kavanaugh, who has faced accusations of sexual abuse by three women so far, which led to impassioned hearings and a heavily doubted FBI investigation, received strong backing from the President.

Right before the vote on Saturday, Trump declared Kavanaugh “will be a great justice of the Supreme Court.”

He added, “He’s just an extraordinary person… and I think he’s going to make us all very proud.”

Hours later, Trump celebrated the vote on Twitter and wrote, “I applaud and congratulate the U.S. Senate for confirming our GREAT NOMINEE, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, to the United States Supreme Court. Later today, I will sign his Commission of Appointment, and he will be officially sworn in. Very exciting!”

Meanwhile, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Kavanaugh after the vote and said, “The President nominated a jurist who has been described by legal peers of all political stripes as a superstar.

He added, “Judge Brett Kavanaugh is among the very best our nation has to offer.”

However, Democrats accused the GOP of short-circuiting efforts to examine the allegations against Kavanaugh that changed the political dynamics of the process and ignited a fierce debate over sexual violence, alcohol abuse and privilege that convulsed the nation.

Schumer said that Trump had “stooped to new depths” in mocking the testimony of Kavanaugh’s first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford.

Ford alleged that the judge assaulted her when they were teenagers in the 1980s.

Apart from Ford, two other women has publicly accused him of sexual misconduct in the 1980s.

However, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee with tears in his eyes, Kavanaugh angrily denied the claims and fought back hard.

Later, Schumer said that for all those who opposed Kavanaugh’s nomination – “There is one answer – vote” in the Congressional elections on November 6.

Protests Rage

The accusations against Kavanaugh have provoked angry demonstrations over the last few weeks, leading to scores of arrests. 

Several times on Saturday, the final vote was interrupted by protesters in the Senate gallery, who yelled, “I do not consent, where’s my representation,” and “Shame on you.”

The yelling women protesters briefly interrupted the start of the final confirmation vote on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters occupied the grounds of the Capitol and the Supreme Court, chanting “Vote them out! Vote them out!”

Others carried signs against Kavanaugh and those that read, “I am a survivor, not a troublemaker!”

Acknowledging and praising the demonstrators ahead of the vote, Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said in a message to protesters, “Thank God that you’re willing to exercise your First Amendment rights of association and free speech. Keep it up, because it’s going to make America stronger.”