Mitch McConnell says Senate ‘stood up for presumption of innocence’

Republican leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate “stood up for presumption of innocence” by confirming Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Mr Kavanaugh was confirmed 50-48 during a historic roll call vote in the Senate chamber.

The two-vote margin is one of the narrowest ever for a Supreme Court nominee.

The Senate confirmed Mr Kavanaugh despite the allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Mr Kavanaugh denied the allegations, and Republicans say an FBI investigation did not corroborate them.

Mr McConnell said at a press conference that putting Mr Kavanaugh on the court “was about treating someone fairly”.

He called the vote “a good day for America” and predicted voters will reward Republicans for it in the mid-term election.

The struggle to confirm Mr Kavanaugh “turned our base on fire”, the Senate Majority Leader added.

Meanwhile, it emerged that President Donald Trump flashed two thumbs up when the Senate confirmed Mr Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

He also criticised Democrats for what he called a “horrible, horrible attack” on his nominee.

President Trump watched the vote in his private cabin onboard Air Force One as he flew to a campaign rally in Kansas.

He invited reporters to join him as the votes were tallied.

President Trump predicted the appeals court judge would be a “totally brilliant Supreme Court justice for many years”, and went on to praise Mr Kavanaugh’s “temperament, his incredible past, his outstanding years on the court”.

President Trump blamed Democrats for the controversy over allegations of sexual misconduct when Mr Kavanaugh was a high school and college student.

He called it “a horrible attack that nobody should have to go through”.