Fox News "Your World" - Transcript: Kennedy: Kavanaugh is Firm that Allegation Didn't Happen

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

CAVUTO: All right, this is going well. Thank you very much, Peter Doocy.

My next guest says the hearing will be held Monday as planned, even though Democrats are already calling it a charade.

Louisiana Republican Senator John Kennedy sits on the Judiciary Committee. He joins us right now.

Senator, have you had a chance to talk to the judge today, yesterday, recently?

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R), LOUISIANA: I have.

CAVUTO: And how's he doing?

KENNEDY: Well, I'm -- I -- it's -- he's -- he's firm, not angry, but he's just committed. That's -- I guess that's the best word.

I talked to him. I said, "Judge, I want to hear from you."

He said: "This didn't happen. And I'm ready for any hearing, any forum you want me to go in front of to tell my side of the story."

That hearing has been scheduled for Monday. Under normal committee protocol, we wouldn't have a hearing. The majority and minority staff would contact the witnesses, if you will, the accuser and the accused, take what in effect are sworn statements, and then provide a transcript to the members of the committee, because the FBI investigation is closed.

The confidential session with the judge is closed. The confirmation hearings are closed. All this came upon us after the time for written questions had been closed.

So to say this is 11th hour is not a -- is not pejorative. It's factual. I mean, that's what happened.

CAVUTO: Do you know whether there was any -- the FBI investigation to which you allude is closed. Did any of it involve these charges?

KENNEDY: It was a normal -- I say normal -- it was -- normal is thorough - - FBI investigation. And there have been six of them.

It's not an investigation. That's the wrong term, Neil.

CAVUTO: I understand.

KENNEDY: It's a background check.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: But do you know whether this issue -- do you know whether this issue came up, sir?

KENNEDY: There was -- I don't know.

CAVUTO: OK.

KENNEDY: I don't know.

But -- but when you -- but if you have ever read an FBI background check, they contact -- it's a cross between an endoscopy and a colonoscopy.

CAVUTO: Understood. You don't have to explain. I know where you're coming on from.

(CROSSTALK)

KENNEDY: OK.

CAVUTO: So, Senator, let me ask you this.

Have you gotten any commitment from Ms. Ford, the accuser here, Christine Ford, that she will show up on Monday?

KENNEDY: We had a meeting at 12:15 today, several of us on the committee. At that point, neither Mrs. Ford nor her counsel would answer any of the calls or the e-mails from our staff to try to, A, take the testimony, if you will, the written testimony, or, B, invite them to the hearing.

So, now, we met yesterday and said, you know, what's the -- what's the fairest way to handle this, to get the facts? And we all agreed. By we, I mean the members -- most of the members of the -- of the -- Republican members of the committee. We decided, OK, we need to have a hearing in front of God and country.

CAVUTO: Would that be with or without her, Senator?

KENNEDY: We decided we want it with her, and we wanted it to be a public hearing.

Now, since then, we have decided to offer her the option. If she would like to have a private hearing, we will have a private hearing. If she wants a public hearing, we will have a public hearing.

We -- we gave -- gave her, Ms. Ford, two choices. We could do it this Thursday, or we could do it Monday.

I understand -- and I don't know the basis for this -- that now -- I don't know whether Ms. Ford decided, someone decided we were going to do this Monday. I'm going to be there Monday. I'm not interested in the political and the cultural combat.

I'm interested in the facts.

CAVUTO: But you will still -- if she opts not to show up or her lawyer says to her don't go, you will still have Judge Kavanaugh there and question him about this with or without her Monday? Is that the...

(CROSSTALK)

KENNEDY: Oh, I have a -- yes, I'm going to be there.

And I have a feeling -- I know Judge Kavanaugh is going to be there. He's raring to go. Now, whether Ms. Ford will be there or not, I don't know. I don't have any control over that.

But all -- all I know about this, Neil, I'm a United States senator elected by my people to advise and consent on this important position. And I shouldn't have to get all my information from The Washington Post and The New Yorker.

I mean, they're great periodicals and all that, but this is not a political game. I'm interested in the facts. And I have to hear Ms. Ford's story.

And I want to -- then I want to hear Judge Kavanaugh's story. And let us ask questions, not to cross-examine anybody, but let's get the facts. And that's all I'm interested in doing.

CAVUTO: But if you never hear from her, she never comes, do you -- I know where you stand on this. You want to hear from Judge Kavanaugh. I understand that.

But do you know whether your colleagues would halt the process, particularly your Democratic colleagues, because no one's heard from her?

KENNEDY: Well, we're going to cross that bridge when we come to it.

I can't make her come.

CAVUTO: OK.

KENNEDY: None of us can. If she doesn't want to come, if she -- we decided today to give Ms. Ford the option.

If she wants to do it -- if she's worried now about a public hearing, we're willing to do a private hearing. We will do it any way she wants to do it.

CAVUTO: All right.

KENNEDY: We just want to get the facts and let her be able to tell us what she -- what -- her side of the story. And then we will hear from the accused, and we will do our jobs, as United States senators.

CAVUTO: Very good.

Sir, thank you very, very much. Very interesting read on that.

KENNEDY: You bet.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source