Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee, held back tears during emotional testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday as he described how allegations of sexual misconduct against him had affected his family.

He described how his 10-year-old daughter, Liza, had suggested praying for Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused him of sexual assault.

"That's a lot of wisdom from a 10-year-old," he said.

Kavanaugh delivered a blistering condemnation of how his confirmation proceedings have been handled and said his family and name might have been "permanently destroyed by vicious and false additional accusations."

Follow along with our live coverage of the hearing.

Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee, choked up during his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday as he delivered a fiery defense against allegations of sexual misconduct.

His voice broke as he described how his 10-year-old daughter had suggested praying for Christine Blasey Ford, who has alleged that Kavanaugh once groped her and attempted to rape her while they were teenagers in the 1980s.

"I intend no ill will to Dr. Ford and her family," Kavanaugh said, describing how his wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, and his two daughters had coped with the news of the allegations.

"Liza, all of 10 years old, said to Ashley, 'We should pray for the woman,'" he said. "That's a lot of wisdom from a 10-year-old."

Kavanaugh repeated several times that he doesn't doubt that Ford was indeed sexually assaulted "by some person, in some place, at some time." But he said he had never sexually assaulted anyone.

He added that he didn't travel in the same social circles as Ford, that he didn't recall ever meeting her, and that the friends Ford has cited as potential witnesses didn't recall the incident she has alleged.

Kavanaugh grew enraged when describing the effect the allegations and his nomination proceedings overall have had on him and his family, calling the process "a national disgrace."

"My family and my name have been totally and permanently destroyed by vicious and false additional accusations," he said, later adding: "You may defeat me in the final vote, but you'll never get me to quit. Never."

Watch a clip of Kavanaugh's testimony below: