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A Nation Is Riveted As Christine Blasey Ford Testifies

By Laurel Wamsley
Published September 27, 2018 at 3:17 PM EDT
Holton Arms alumnae show their support for Christine Blasey Ford at the Hart Senate Office Building.
1 of 8  — Holton Arms alumnae show their support for Christine Blasey Ford at the Hart Senate Office Building.
Holton Arms alumnae show their support for Christine Blasey Ford at the Hart Senate Office Building.
Protesters rally against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as they march near the Capitol.
2 of 8  — Protesters rally against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as they march near the Capitol.
Protesters rally against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as they march near the Capitol.
Outside the Supreme Court, people gathered Thursday morning to protest Kavanaugh's nomination.
3 of 8  — Outside the Supreme Court, people gathered Thursday morning to protest Kavanaugh's nomination.
Outside the Supreme Court, people gathered Thursday morning to protest Kavanaugh's nomination.
Demonstrators march in front of the Capitol.
4 of 8  — Demonstrators march in front of the Capitol.
Demonstrators march in front of the Capitol.
Holton Arms alumnae supporting each other and Ford in the Hart Senate Building.
5 of 8  — Holton Arms alumnae supporting each other and Ford in the Hart Senate Building.
Holton Arms alumnae supporting each other and Ford in the Hart Senate Building.
Protesters in the Dirksen Building, not permitted on the floor of the hearing, lined the stairwells instead.
6 of 8  — Protesters in the Dirksen Building, not permitted on the floor of the hearing, lined the stairwells instead.
Protesters in the Dirksen Building, not permitted on the floor of the hearing, lined the stairwells instead.
Outside the Kavanaugh hearing, people protest.
7 of 8  — Outside the Kavanaugh hearing, people protest.
Outside the Kavanaugh hearing, people protest.
As the hearing goes on inside, a Kavanaugh supporter gets into an exchange of words with protesters.
8 of 8  — As the hearing goes on inside, a Kavanaugh supporter gets into an exchange of words with protesters.
As the hearing goes on inside, a Kavanaugh supporter gets into an exchange of words with protesters.

As Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, people across the U.S. tuned in to watch her tell the emotional story of her alleged sexual assault by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavavaugh more than 30 years ago.

Across the country — on the radio, television or the phones they carried — Americans listened.

Adam Kruppa, bartender at the Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago, watches the testimony on a television at the bar.
Scott Olson / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Adam Kruppa, bartender at the Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago, watches the testimony on a television at the bar.
A news ticker in New York City's Times Square shows headlines about the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.
Bebeto Matthews / AP
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AP
A news ticker in New York City's Times Square shows headlines about the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

On airplanes, they watched. And some cried.

They watched on C-SPAN, where some viewers began calling in with their own stories of sexual assault.

They watched in classrooms, where some students were the same ages as Ford or Kavanaugh, who were both high-schoolers when the assault allegedly took place.

And, of course, they watched in Washington, D.C.

Protesters and supporters of Brett Kavanaugh's nomination watch Christine Blasey Ford's testimony from Sen. Chuck Grassley's office in Washington, D.C.
Zach Gibson / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Protesters and supporters of Brett Kavanaugh's nomination watch Christine Blasey Ford's testimony from Sen. Chuck Grassley's office in Washington, D.C.

Recognizing the cultural moment, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., shared photos of themselves watching Ford's testimony.

After nearly 2 1/2 hours, Ford's testimony and questioning ended. Kavanaugh arrived and sat before the committee to deliver his own testimony and submit to questioning.

And America watched.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Laurel Wamsley
Laurel Wamsley is a reporter for NPR's News Desk. She reports breaking news for NPR's digital coverage, newscasts, and news magazines, as well as occasional features. She was also the lead reporter for NPR's coverage of the 2019 Women's World Cup in France.
See stories by Laurel Wamsley