Tapper asked Hirono whether Kavanaugh should receive the "same presumption of innocence as anyone else in America," to which Hirono replied, "I put his denial in the context of everything that I know about him in terms of how he approaches his cases."
"When I say that he is very outcome driven, he has an ideological agenda, very outcome driven, and I could sit here and talk to you about some of the cases that exemplifies his ability to be fair," Hirono added.
She went on to assail Kavanaugh over his record on abortion.
Hirono's meaning is clear: because Kavanaugh embraces conservative jurisprudence — ostensibly including opposition to Roe v. Wade, though he did not voice such opposition during his confirmation hearings — he cannot be trusted not to harm women.
The statement is demonstrative, as many on social media pointed out, of how Democrats are approaching the Kavanaugh accusations, generally: they're not opposed to Kavanaugh because of the allegations, they're opposed to him because they disagree with the way he decides cases.
WATCH: Sen. Mazie Hirono Says She Doubts Kavanaugh's Credibility Because He's A Conservative Judge
"When I say that he is very outcome driven, he has an ideological agenda, very outcome driven, and I could sit here and talk to you about some of the cases that exemplifies his ability to be fair," Hirono added.
She went on to assail Kavanaugh over his record on abortion.
Hirono's meaning is clear: because Kavanaugh embraces conservative jurisprudence — ostensibly including opposition to Roe v. Wade, though he did not voice such opposition during his confirmation hearings — he cannot be trusted not to harm women.
The statement is demonstrative, as many on social media pointed out, of how Democrats are approaching the Kavanaugh accusations, generally: they're not opposed to Kavanaugh because of the allegations, they're opposed to him because they disagree with the way he decides cases.
WATCH: Sen. Mazie Hirono Says She Doubts Kavanaugh's Credibility Because He's A Conservative Judge