Sexual assault hotline sees record surge in calls during Christine Blasey Ford's testimony

Christine Blasey Ford's powerful testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee led to an unprecedented surge in calls to the National Sexual Assault Hotline.

As Ford recounted her experience with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh before the committee, calls to the hotline were up 147 percent, according to Time.

RAINN, the organization that runs the hotline, said they typically see an increase in calls when the topic of sexual assault is in the news. But Thursday's surge was far above the normal increase. When President Trump's infamous Access Hollywood tape was released in October 2016, for instance, there was 33% increase in calls.

Millions of people tuned in to hear Ford's testimony, and her story clearly struck a chord with people who have had their own experiences with sexual assault.

Kavanaugh testified after Ford on Thursday and denied all of her claims, as well as those of other women who have accused him of sexual misconduct. Many have taken to social media to protest Kavanaugh, and on Friday morning several survivors personally confronted Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, a deciding vote in the confirmation.

If you have experienced sexual assault, you can call the free, confidential National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or access 24-7 help online by visiting hotline.rainn.org.