Women, young people more likely to oppose Kavanaugh, pollster says

Women and millennials are less likely to support Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court, pollster Mallory Newall told Hill.TV on Friday.

“With women more likely than men to believe the [sexual assault] allegations against Justice Kavanaugh, [they are] more likely to oppose his confirmation,” Newall, research director at Ipsos Public Affairs, told Hill.TV’s Jamal Simmons on “What America’s Thinking.” 

“Younger people as well are more likely to oppose the nomination,” she added. 

Newall’s remarks align with a new Washington Post/ABC News poll, which found that 58 percent of women disapprove of Kavanaugh’s confirmation, while 35 percent of men disapprove of his confirmation. 

Young people have also voiced disapproval of Kavanaugh. 

A Quinnipiac University poll released earlier this month found that 55 percent of people ages 18 to 34 said they opposed Kavanaugh’s confirmation, while 34 percent of the age group said they approved of his confirmation. 

Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court in a 50 to 48 vote by the Senate last week and was sworn in shortly after. 

Though he was thought, initially, to have an easy path to confirmation, the judge’s nomination was rocked by three separate sexual assault allegations being brought against him. 

Kavanaugh has vehemently denied the allegations, and President Trump has staunchly defended his newest Supreme Court nominee. 

“You, sir, under historic scrutiny, were proven innocent,” the president told the justice at a swearing-in ceremony at the White House this week. 

“Those who step forward to serve our country deserve a fair and dignified evaluation, not a campaign of political and personal destruction based on lies and deception,” he said. “What happened to the Kavanaugh family violates every notion of fairness, decency and due process. In our country, a man or woman must always be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.” 

— Julia Manchester