Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski told CNN on Friday she will hold off on deciding whether or not to vote for the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court until he and Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual assault, testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"What I have to do next week, assuming that the hearing moves forward, which I am truly hoping it does, that is the end, hopefully, of this vetting process that I have been engaged in," she told CNN on Friday. "That's when I will make my determination in regards to Judge Kavanaugh."

Republicans don't need any votes from Democrats to confirm Kavanaugh, but the Republican's narrow control in the senate by two seats leaves little room for dissent.

Murkowski, a notorious moderate swing vote, also told CNN that Trump's Friday morning tweet asserting that Ford should have reported her allegation immediately after the alleged incident was not "helpful."

"I think that where we are right now with the Senate and (the) Judiciary Committee particularly, going through its process, a process that hopefully will allow for an airing of the allegations Dr. Ford has submitted in writing ... but equally important is a fair opportunity for Judge Kavanaugh to respond. That's what we should be focusing on," Murkowski said.

"So comments that go to other aspects, questioning the judgment, I don't believe they are helpful," Murkowski said. "And quite frankly, I wish the President had continued what he has been doing, which is basically allowing the Senate and Judiciary Committee to proceed with its work as the committee needs to do."

Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were both teenagers in the 1980s, an allegation Kavanaugh has strongly denied. Ford's lawyers are continuing negotiations with the Senate Judiciary Committee about the conditions under which Ford will testify before the panel, if at all.

Murkowski told CNN she believes the issue of allegations against Kavanaugh is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee's hands, not the FBI.

"I think it's important to realize, as has been said before, when a nominee is advanced there is an FBI review background investigation that comes. In fact, with Judge Kavanaugh, because he has been a nominee on multiple occasions now, he's actually had six different FBI reviews, if you will," she said. "The FBI basically doesn't make a determination on this as matter. ... So I think right now where we are is you have a committee process that needs to advance, again to allow this story to be told, and responded to appropriately."

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Alaska Gov. Bill Walker and Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott, announced their opposition to Kavanaugh's confirmation, expressing concern that a lifetime appointment for Kavanaugh would threaten key protections for health care, labor and tribal self-determination for Alaskans.

"He was leaning against -- I don't want to say supporting, he doesn't have a vote -- but he had been asked to weigh in and indicated he was leaning against Judge Kavanaugh," Murkowski said. "I didn't try to convince him, nor he of me. ... when his announcement came out yesterday, quite frankly it didn't surprise me."

Murkowski told CNN she's taking her decision very seriously.

"This is my fifth Supreme Court justice that I will have an opportunity to weigh in on," she said. "There are only nine members on the United States Supreme Court. And these nine members are given a lifetime tenure. So legislation can come and go ... but ensuring we have a judiciary that is independent, that is clearly equal in weight and stature, as the other two branches, is critically important ... so making sure that we have the best of the best to serve us is what we want in our Supreme Court."