How will sexual assault claims affect Kavanaugh’s confirmation

Brace yourselves. The woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were both teenagers is scheduled to testify in a public Senate hearing Monday. And he will have an opportunity to respond at the same hearing.

Here’s what you need to know.

Senate showdown

Kavanaugh and his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, have been invited to speak before the Senate Judiciary Committee to "give these recent allegations a full airing," chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said.

President Donald Trump expressed support for his nominee and said that there's no rush on the confirmation vote. "If it takes a little delay, it'll take a little delay," Trump told reporters at the White House Monday.

Democrats are not satisfied with the public hearing and are still pushing for an FBI investigation into the allegations. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said that going ahead with a hearing before an investigation is complete is "just a sham and a charade."

The hearings will likely be the most contentious "he said, she said" confrontation since Anita Hill's testimony at Justice Clarence Thomas' nomination captivated the nation in 1991. They also could further divide an already polarized nation. "Meet the Press" moderator and NBC News political director Chuck Todd likened their explosive potential to "four sticks of dynamite wrapped in radioactive material."

Several far-right news websites have already attacked Ford, who teaches psychology and statistics at Palo Alto University. Except they went after the wrong college professor and had to issue corrections after the articles went viral.

How will the controversy surrounding Kavanaugh's nomination impact the midterms? NBC News' political correspondent Steve Kornacki will host a livestream at 12 p.m. ETto discuss the latest developments in the race for the House.

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