For weeks, Kavanaugh’s future has hung in the balance during hours of hearings, FBI investigations and a smattering of sexual assault allegations. The remarkable and ugly set of twists and turns over the weeks all ended at the doorsteps of several key lawmakers.

Senators Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Joe Manchin, D-W.V., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, waited until Friday to announce how they would vote. By the end of the day, there was a slim, 51-49 vote tally in favor of Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Collins’ dramatic decision, laid out in a nearly 45-minute speech on the Senate floor Friday, pushed Republicans over the edge and became a turning point for Kavanaugh.