The bitter tenor of the Senate reflects a nation that disagrees with itself

In Gallup's 2018 survey, the only government institutions that enjoyed strong public support were the armed forces and the police.

And these institutions, too, became prey to the partisanship and cultural conflict of the time: Mr. Trump thundered against football players who kneel during the national anthem to protest against police violence, accusing them of disrespect for the flag and the armed forces. As a sign of intense ties between Trump and his extremely white political base, nine out of ten supporters said they disapproved of the athletes' protest, according to a New York Times poll. About three-fifths of Americans who do not support Mr. Trump see the protests in a positive light.

Mr. Trump's supporters, almost unanimously, also do not believe that Dr. Blasey was assaulted by Justice Kavanaugh in the 1980s. Of the voters who disapprove of Mr. Trump, only 6% do not believe allegations.

Despite all the public expressions of anxiety, there is little obvious appetite left or right to rebuild a semblance of bipartisanship in Washington or to lower the political climate. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, leader of the Democratic minority, has sparked overwhelming reactions in both parties for suggesting this week that the Senate could bring the vote back to 60 votes to end the debate on a Supreme Court appointment. – a threshold abolished by Republicans, after the Democrats put an end to the candidatures to lower courts under the Obama administration.

Michael Avenatti, the Trump-bashing trial lawyer who is exploring a run for the presidency, has been more in tune with the mood of the Democratic base. He called for adding two seats to the Supreme Court and filling them with Democratic appointees, and dismissing Judge Kavanaugh when he sits. On Friday, as Judge Kavanaugh's appointment neared the vote, Avenatti attacked the "old approach" of the Democrats, inviting instead: "We must fight fire with fire."

There remains, mostly among the moderate elites and independent voters, a melancholy hope that a new era of conciliation – or even cooperation – could take place in the government, perhaps once Mr. Trump is not there. more president.

For her part Friday, when she announced her support for Judge Kavanaugh, Senator Susan Collins of Maine lamented the country's "great disunity" and an impulse, among the various American tribes, to "a extreme will towards those who disagree with them ".

"One can only hope that Kavanaugh's appointment is where the process has finally reached the bottom," Ms. Collins said.