After Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee and his interview with Martha MacCallum, we knew that he was going to stand and fight against the allegations leveled against him. In his opening statement today, he lit Democrats on the Committee, Democrats in general, and the #Resist crowd up like nothing we’ve seen on the GOP side in… well, I can’t remember such a thorough and incredible take-down.

As he began, he said he wrote the statement himself and that only one other person had seen it. He noted that he immediately denied the accusations and asked to immediately

My family and my name have been totally and permanently destroyed by vicious and false additional accusations. The ten-day delay has been harmful to me and my family, to the Supreme Court, and to the country.

Then, he launches into a full-on (and well-deserved) assault on the Democrats.

This confirmation process has become a national disgrace. The Constitution gives the Senate an important role in the confirmation process, but you have replaced advise and consent with search and destroy.

There has been a frenzy on the left to come up with something, anything, to block my confirmation.

senate leader said he would “oppose me with everything he’s got.” A democratic senator on this committee publicly referred to me as evil. Evil. Think about that word. And said that those who supported me were, quote, “Complicit in evil.” A former head of the DNC said, “Judge Kavanaugh will threaten the lives of millions of Americans for decades to come.”

He placed the blame for any potential violence and future bad consequences squarely where it belongs.

I understand the passions of the moment, but I would say to those senators, your words have meaning. Millions of Americans listened carefully to you. Given comments like those, is it any surprise that people have been willing to do anything, to make any physical threat against my family, to send any violent email to my wife, to make any kind of allegation against me and against my friends, to blow me up and take me down?

You sowed the wind for decades to come. I fear that the whole country will reap the whirlwind.

Then, he shamed them for their grandstanding in the first portion of the hearing.

The behavior of several of the Democratic members of this Committee at my hearing a few weeks ago was an embarrassment, but at least it was a good, old-fashioned attempt at Borking.

Though we all know this was a coordinated attack, Kavanaugh needed to talk about the elephant in the room – and boy, did he.

Those efforts didn’t work…when it looked like I might actually get confirmed, a new tactic was needed. Some of you were lying in wait and had it ready. When it was needed, this allegation was unleashed and publicly deployed over Dr. Ford’s wishes. And then as no doubt was expected, if not planned, came a long series of last-minute smears designed to scare me and drive me out of the process before any hearing occurred. Crazy stuff. Gangs, illegitimate children, fights on boats on Rhode Island, all nonsense, reported breathlessly and often uncritically by the media. This has destroyed my family and my good name, a good name built up through decades of very hard work and public service at the highest levels of the American government.

He called it out for what it is – Trump Derangement Syndrome.

This whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit fueled with pent-up anger about President Trump in the 2016 election, fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record, revenge on behalf of the Clintons, and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups.

Again, there will be consequences paid by the American people for the Democrats’ juvenile, petty, and destructive “effort.”

This is a circus. The consequences will extend long past my nomination. The consequences will be with us for decades. This grotesque and coordinated character assassination will dissuade competent and good people from all political persuasions from serving our country. And, as we all know…what goes around, comes around. I am an optimistic guy. I always try to be on the sunrise side of the mountain, to be optimistic about the day that is coming. But today I have to say that I fear for the future.

He gave them props, but made a forceful promise.

You’ve tried hard. You’ve given it your all. No one can question your effort. But your coordinated and well-funded effort to destroy my good name and destroy my family will not drive me out. The vile threats of violence against my family will not drive me out. You may defeat me in the final vote, but you’ll never get me to quit. Never.

When talking about his family, he teared up.

When I was 10, my mom went to law school, and as a lawyer she worked hard and overcame the workplace sexual harassment that so many women faced at the time and still face today.

He especially teared up while recounting something his daughter said to his wife.

The other night Ashley and my daughter said their prayers, and Little 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.

Still tearful, Kavanaugh reiterated that his family has no ill will toward Dr. Ford.

The stress and strain of this experience was evident on the faces of Judge Kavanaugh and his wife, and though he became tearful at times, his commitment to fighting back against this horrible tactic and clearing his name – for himself and for the future of our country – cannot be denied.