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Brett Kavanaugh says 'I'm not going anywhere' as he denies sexual misconduct allegations in TV interview

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh said he is "not going anywhere" as he denied allegations of sexual misconduct during a TV interview.

Speaking to Fox News on Monday and accompanied by his wife Ashley, he said he was "not going to let false accusations" drive him out of the nomination process.

He added that he was a virgin for "many years" after leaving high school.

Two women have accused him of sexual misconduct with reports early on Tuesday indicating that a third woman was going to come forward.

Christine Blasey Ford, who was the first to accused Mr Kavanaugh, claims he assaulted her at a party when they were teenagers however he denies being at “any such party.”

Supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is facing allegations of sexual misconduct which he denies (AP)
Supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is facing allegations of sexual misconduct which he denies (AP)

He said: "I'm not questioning and have not questioned that perhaps Dr Ford at some point in her life was sexually assaulted by someone in some place, but what I know is I've never sexually assaulted anyone."

Mr Kavanaugh said it's possible he may have met Dr Ford at some time, but he said they were not friends and did not travel in the same social circles. He said he did not remember being at a party with her.

"I was not at the party described," Mr Kavanaugh said.

Mr Kavanaugh was asked if there was any chance Dr Ford misunderstood an exchange between them.

"I have never had any sexual or physical activity with Dr Ford," he said.

The second woman, Deborah Ramirez, has accused Mr Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her at a Yale dormitory party, putting his penis in her face and causing her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away.

Brett Kavanaugh and his wife Ashley during a TV interview with Fox News (AP)
Brett Kavanaugh and his wife Ashley during a TV interview with Fox News (AP)

In response to the allegations, Mr Kavanaugh said: "I never did any such thing."

"If such a thing had happened, it would have been the talk of campus," Mr Kavanaugh said.

It is rare for nominees to the Supreme Court to give interviews. Russell Wheeler, an expert on the judicial selection process at the Brookings Institution, said he is unaware of a similar media interview by a Supreme Court nominee in the past 100 years.

But there's nothing ordinary about the stakes and circumstances of Mr Kavanaugh's nomination, with Republicans fighting to get him on the court by the end of September and cement a conservative-leaning court for years to come.

President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell say they are determined to get Mr Kavanaugh on the court, calling the allegations against him false and politically motivated.

Donald Trump is determined to get Mr Kavanaugh confirmed (AP)
Donald Trump is determined to get Mr Kavanaugh confirmed (AP)

"I'm not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process," Mr Kavanaugh said.

Democrats have accused Republicans of not conducting a thorough review in their rush to get Mr Kavanaugh confirmed. They want the FBI to reopen its background investigation of Mr Kavanaugh and look into the allegations against him.

Ford and Mr Kavanaugh are set to testify Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In the Fox interview Mr Kavanaugh got a taste of the personal questions he'll face from senators. MacCallum asked him how long he was a virgin in college, after he volunteered that he never had sex in high school.

"Many years after. I'll leave it at that," he said.

Ashley Kavanaugh was asked whether she wondered if her husband was telling the truth about the allegations against him. "No, I know Brett. I've known him for 17 years," she said, adding: "I know his heart. This is not consistent with Brett."

Mr Kavanaugh appeared to get emotional at the end of the interview. He said Trump called him in the afternoon to show his support.

"I know he's going to stand by me," he said.

Additional reporting by AP.