Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly's new book about Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh is generating some unflattering headlines about him as it suggests new, previously unreported sexual misconduct allegations against him. But in an interview with "TODAY," the authors insist that while they wanted to amplify his accusers' voices, they also wanted to tell his side of the story.
The authors spent 10 months researching the claims of his accusers, specifically that of Deborah Ramirez, who claims that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a college party. That accusation, along with that of Christine Blasey Ford's, may have been awarded complete credence by the media, but Pogrebin and Kelly note that they found the reality to be considerably more "nuanced."
"People assumed we’d have knee jerk sympathy for the women who came forward, and we certainly do," the authors told NBC reporter Stephanie Gosk in a recent sit down interview. "But we also had to put ourselves in his shoes. Imagine if you’ve been falsely accused of something that you didn’t do or at least have no memory of doing, and you see your life upended and your family accused and his wife received death threats too."
Their research convinced them that both Ford’s and Ramirez’s accusations have "real credence." But, they added a caveat: In the past 36 years Brett Kavanaugh has been a "better man."
Gosk too noted that Kavanaugh has "walked the walk" as an adult.
"He’s lived an exemplary life as an adult," she noted.
The authors admitted that Kavanaugh's commitment to mentoring young lawyers, specifically his young female clerks, is "real."
The TODAY anchors note that the book is not likely to change minds on either side of the debate, but Gosk suggests it may encourage people to "open their minds."