Kavanaugh chokes up during Senate testimony describing how his 10-year-old daughter wanted to pray for his accuser Christine Blasey Ford

Associated Press/Saul Loeb

Supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018.

• Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh held back tears during emotional testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday as he described how allegations of sexual assault had affected his family.
• He described how his 10-year-old daughter, Liza, had suggested praying for his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford.
• "That's a lot of wisdom from a 10-year-old," he said.
• Kavanaugh delivered a blistering condemnation of how his confirmation was handled, and how his family and name may have been "permanently destroyed by vicious and false accusations."
• Follow along with our live coverage of the hearing.

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh choked up during his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday as he delivered a fiery defense against allegations of sexual assault.

His voice broke as he described how his 10-year-old daughter had suggested praying for Christine Blasey Ford, who has alleged that Kavanaugh once groped her and attempted to rape her while the two were teenagers in the 1980s.

"I intend no ill will toward Dr. Ford and her family," Kavanaugh said, describing how his two daughters had coped with the news of the allegations.

"Liza, all of 10 years old, said to Ashley, 'We should pray for the woman.' That's a lot of wisdom from a 10-year-old," he said.

Kavanaugh repeated several times that he doesn't doubt that Ford was, indeed, sexually assaulted "by some person, in some place." But he said he has never sexually assaulted anyone.

He added that he didn't travel in the same social circles as Ford, that he didn't recall ever meeting her, and that the friends Ford has cited as potential witnesses didn't recall the event.

Kavanaugh grew enraged when describing the impact the allegations and his nomination overall have had on him and his family, calling the confirmation process "a national disgrace."

"My family and my name have been totally and permanently destroyed by vicious and false accusations," he said. "You may defeat me in the final vote, but you'll never get me to quit. Never."

Watch a clip of Kavanaugh's testimony below: