Republican-led Senate elevates controversial pick Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court by the slimmest of margins

By an almost strictly party-line vote, the GOP-led U.S. Senate confirmed controversial federal judge Brett Kavanaugh to a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.

The final vote was 50-48.

With Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins -- considered a moderate -- announcing on Friday that she would vote "yes" on Kavanaugh who is still under a cloud of sexual assault accusations, the vote transpired without any GOP senators suddenly switching their vote in the face of massive protests against Kavanaugh across the country.

The selection and approval of the jurist moves the court to a solid 5-4 conservative majority as he replaces retiring Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy who had a reputation as a swing vote in the deeply divided court.

Kavanaugh was the beneficiary of one vote by a Democrat, with West Virginia's Sen. Joe Manchin voting against his party's wishes.