this is "nightline." >> tonight, confirmation cliff hanger, the fbi report on brett kavanaugh is in. >> enough. enough already. let's vote. >> we're inside the partisan divide. protests erupting on the steps of the supreme court. >> kavanaugh is not welcome here. >> and in the home states of key senators. >> senator collins votes for kavanaugh, mainers will not forget. >> what the president's pick for the highest court is saying tonight about his emotional testimony. plus, swimming with the sharks. the splashy new guest investor, unable to bait the sharks five years ago, his failure later ringing in much success. >> hello. >> why the "shark tank" keeps reeling us in. >> it's the american dream. people want to be successful.

and why some lady gaga fans had a million reasons to be surprised at a screen of "a star is born." ♪ baby i just need one good one to stay ♪ >> but first, the "nightline" five. but first, the "nightline" five.

thank you for joining us. the report is in, but the review isn't over just yet. some key senators still undecided after reading the fbi's investigation to the sexual assault allegations against judge brett kavanaugh. abc's terry moran has the latest on the vote that could tip the balance of power on the supreme court for decades. >> we believe christine ford. >> reporter: they came to washington in their thousands. >> kavanaugh is not welcome here. >> reporter: direct democracy at work, americans making their final appeal. >> we want kavanaugh. >> reporter: some showing their support, but most protesting brett kavanaugh's nomination to the nation's highest court. >> you are too committed to getting an abuser on the supreme court. >> enough. enough already. let's vote. >> reporter: today was a day of sharp tensions and high emotion following the early morning release of the fbi's investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against the nominee. accusations he adamantly denies. just a single copy was made of

that fbi report, the document kept under lock and key behind these closed doors on capitol hill. all day, one by one, senators and top aides walked into the room, 46 pages of summaries, detailing 9 additional interviews conducted by the fbi of possible witnesses to the alleged incidents. among the interviews, kavanaugh's second accuser, deborah ramirez, a former yale classmate who told "the new yorker" kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a party. her attorneys say she was questioned for two hours on sunday. >> what we know for sure is the fbi report did not corroborate any of the allegations against judge kavanaugh. >> the most notable part of this report is what's not in it. as we noted by the white house, the fbi did not interview brett kavanaugh, nor did the fbi interview dr. blasey ford.

>> reporter: the fbi apparently relied on the sworn testimony of both judge kavanaugh and christine blasey ford. in a statement, attorneys for dr. ford said the investigation is a stain on the process, on the fbi, and on our american ideal of justice. they claim they offered eight other possible witnesses but they were never contacted. today, president trump standing by his pick. >> and it was announced for one simple reason. he is an incredible intellect, an incredible person. >> reporter: democrats argue there are two main issues here, the allegations of sexual assault and the broader question of kavanaugh's character, revealed in his furious strongly partisan testimony. >> fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record, revenge on behalf of the clintons, and millions of dollars in money from outside left wing opposition groups. >> reporter: and in an extremely rare move, retired u.s. supreme court justice and lifelong

republican john paul stevens came out against kavanaugh. he told a small crowd in bo boca raton, florida, that it's what judge kavanaugh's performance at the confirmation hearings revealed that was disqualifying for him. >> i think his performance during the hearings caused me to change my mind. >> reporter: tonight, judge kavanaugh responded to the criticism in an editorial in the "wall street journal," writing, i was very emotional last thursday, more so than i have ever been. i might have been too emotional at times. i know that my tone was sharp and i said a few things i should not have said. i hope everyone can understand that i was there as a son, husband, and dad. i testified with five people foremost in my mind, my mom, my dad, my wife, and most of all my daughters. >> the temperament issue was not at issue when the christine blasey ford hearing was held. it came up afterward. the question of whether that's relevant, it rests in the head of a very small handful of undecided senators. >> reporter: among the handful of remaining swing votes,

senar je of arizona, whose last minute hesitation triggered this fbi investigation. he now sounds like a "yes" vote for kavanaugh. >> i was a yes before this. and now we're in process of reviewing it. but thus far, we've seen no new credible corroboration, no new corroboration at all. >> reporter: the fate of kavanaugh's nomination may now lie in the hands of two republican senators, susan collins of maine. >> good morning. >> reporter: and lisa murkowski of alaska. senator murkowski is still undecided. senator collins says she won't make an announcement yet, but she adds of the fbi report, it appears to be a very thorough investigation. >> kavanaugh has got to go. >> reporter: the pressure on these two women to evaluate a supreme court pick who might have a lasting impact on women's rights from equal rights in the workplace to me too to abortion is collins' home state of maine, an appeal to her sense of

sisterhood from her female constituents, including dini. >> i think we need to send a signal to our society, our girls, to our sisters, to everybody that experiences something like this that it's not your fault, you can come out and tell your story and you can be brave. >> reporter: merz and other mainers are writing letters to collins, sharing deeply personal stories of sexual assault. the stack of about 1,500 letters hand delivered to an aide in senator collins' portland office. >> i have to urge senator collins on behalf of me and other sexual assault survivors to please listen to us and believe us and believe dr. ford and the others and find somebody else. and vote no. >> speak up for us. >> reporter: the group leaves senator collins' office with police standing by. >> do not forget it. because this moment will take all of us to win. >> reporter: outside collins' office, a peaceful but painful

protest. >> and all of these stories are uncomfortable to hear, right? nobody wants to hear about someone's trauma. is she listening to our message? i'm not so sure. i hope, though. >> if senator collins votes for kavanaugh, mainers will not forget. >> reporter: and they're taking that message to the bank with a crowd funding campaign started by several maine activist organizations. if collins votes no on kavanaugh, donors credit cards will not be charged. if she votes yes, the money will fund her democratic opponent when she runs for reelection in to 2020. the fund is already up to nearly $2 million. >> she's thinking about a long career in public service so the idea that she would tune into this differently misunderstands the way susan collins comes at us. >> i've heard senator collins dismiss our efforts and advocacy as bribery. it is people power. it is more than 60,000 donors pledging small dollar numbers towards a candidate who would

actually represent them. >> reporter: marie follayttar says the pledge money has come in from mainers energized in part by phone bank efforts like this one. >> you'd like her to vote no on kavanaugh. >> if collins votes to confirm kavanaugh, we will absolutely defeat her and that's a promise. >> reporter: last night, a group gets on a bus to d.c., one final push. this morning, on the steps of the supreme court. >> the great people from the great state of maine. >> reporter: marie with one last message for her senator. >> we are coming for your senate seat. >> reporter: meanwhile, on capitol hill, alaskans waiting for senator lisa murkowski after flying 12 hours from t home state for a chance to speak with her. >> she said directly -- she said i can look all of you in the eye and say i don't know what i'm going to do. >> reporter: these native alaskans urging murkowski to vote no. >> and as an alaskan native, you are almost ten times more likely

to be a victim of sex crimes than other alaskans. >> wow. >> and so as an in in in community member, there is an epidemic in our state and this issue of how survivors are treated when these issues are uncovered speaks very much to the heart of that. >> reporter: so it's directly related to the allegations against him is one of the things that motivated you. >> yes. >> murkowski. >> reporter: they're part of murkowski's electorate that could be hard for her to ignore. native alaskans played a critical role in her 2010 reelection. >> i'm hoping that she will remember that it was the alaska native which helped carry her 2010 historic write in campaign. >> reporter: despite traveling thousands of miles, cordelia and misty were turned away. onit it. had people we need to speak for ourselves and we are demanding it. >> reporter: but appeals to swing voters like murkowski came from the other side and other states. these three women, who say they went to high school with judge

kavanaugh, hope to urge the senator to vote yes. >> we support him and want her to understand that we knew him, and we actually knew what he was like in high school. and we want to make sure she realizes his outstanding character. >> reporter: a full senate vote could come as early as saturday. senator collins and senator murkowski will have to cast a vote not just for the next supreme court justice but for their political futures as well. >> we're waiting for her to come back to maine and face us and listen to us and believe us. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm terry moran in washington. next, the wannabe entrepreneurs on "shark tank," the secrets behind the champs and the chumps.

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this amateur entrepreneur show hasn't jumped the shark, entering its tenth season, "shark tank" has helped launch some of the most well known products in america. abc on the secret behind the success. >> reporter: it's the american dream, wrapped up for reality tv. >> i will make you a millionaire. sfw >> reporter: a chance to make it big. >> i'm writing a check. >> reporter: or to crash and burn for all the world to see. >> i'm out. >> reporter: the six judges or sharks hold the fate of the aspiring ceos in their hands.mar life savings in their product. >> you don't even have a company yet. you have a great idea and the shark can use his or her connections to put your idea into reality. >> reporter: the show, now in its tenth season, has been successful because people can and do make it big.

>> this is what's great about "shark tank." you never know what's going to walk through that door. >> reporter: like someone pitching a squatty potty. >> a simple stool that's been carefully designed that allows the user to squat in a healthy position. >> reporter: shark laurie grenier invested $350,000 for a 10% stake in the company. since then, the company has generated $125 million in revenue. she also struck fold with scrub daddy, this cheerful yet powerful kitchen sponge. >> i'm known as the daddy of the scrub daddy, the cutest but most high-tech scrubbing tool in the world. >> reporter: inventor aaron krause appeared on the show in 2012. since then, his company has done more than $110 million in sales. >> is that still one of the biggest success stories on "shark tank"? >> yes, yes. he's tone amazing. >> i really -- i don't like it. because i lost on that deal. >> reporter: oh. but judge damon john has picked

his own winners. >> athletic leisure socks engineered to look better, feel better, and with a mission to help those in need. >> reporter: investing in bombas socks, a company that keeps your feet warm and does some good in the world. >> yeah, my bombas sock company, every time they sell a sock, they give away a pair to the homeless. >> come in. >> jimmy >> reporter: sometimes even a failure on "shark tank" can mean success down the road. jamie faced the sharks with his pitch for a smart doorbell, then called door bot, but couldn't land a deal. you looked so sad when you walked out of those doors. i felt so bad for you but you kept going. >> yeah, i mean, you know, like anything in life, you have to keep going, and you have to keep persevering. >> reporter: soon his fortunes changed. >> being on "shark tank," the credibility and awareness that it gave the business and the product and everything else really catapulted us and allowed us to really build what we have today. >> reporter: five years later, his smart doorbell, called ring, is a huge success.

and he is back as a guest shark. >>. >> reporter: does it just feel so good to be up there, sitting along with all these other sharks that passed on you and now you're right there with them. is it going to feel like a little -- >> i'm not that kind of a person. yes, it feels great. it really does. it really does. >> reporter: and it's almost tenth seasons on the air, the sharks have seen nearly 1,000 hopef hopefuls come through these doors. what is it about the show that you think people keep coming back for? >> it's the american dream. people want to be successful. nobody wakes up and says, i want my life to suck. you watch our show and you think, i can do it. >> reporter: we spent the day onset. >> welcome to the "shark tank." >> reporter: wow. >> these are my shark friends. >> reporter: learning the secrets of the show's success. >> nice to meet you. >> reporter: we found laurie in her dressing room during a break in their marathon shooting day. >> at the end of the day, i really like making dreams come

true. i know it sounds a little, you know, corny, but i really do. >> reporter: the entrepreneurs who appear on the show have just one shot to convince the sharks to invest. the stakes could not be higher. >> we're here today to ask you for $500,000. >> $100,000 investment. >> to make better socks. >> eat better. >> which one of you will be our soul mate? >> reporter: you've got a handful of minutes to either make or break what they feel is their whole career. that one pitch can be excruciating to watch. >> no fly cone. and you set it over a scooper. >> my inventions are making over a billion dollars per year. >> can you name one? >> reporter: what is that one mistake that drives you crazy h? >> no energy. they get so inside their heads so they're trying to make sure they say the right thing in the right order to get their numbers right and they get so nervous. >> do we have a deal? >> of course. >> reporter: but when an entrepreneur nails it, it's

golden. >> do it. >> all right. >> got a deal. >> good. >> awesome. >> reporter: the sharks maintain a breakneck shooting schedule. leaving little time for regrets of deals not done. >> i'm going to tell you the secret. the minute the pitch is over, if i dependeidn't do it, gone. we shoot a whole season in about four, and so we'll get here in the morning and we'll shoot 10, 11 pitches one after the other. that's why we're in the same clothes all the time. >> reporter: you're able to move on. >> like an old girlfriend. >> no rear view mirror in "shark tank." yeah. we don't care. >> reporter: the show's enduring popularity has surprised even some of the most seasoned executives. >> i didn't think it would last. i thought, you know what, this is a business show, it was okay, and i'll do my three guest shark episodes. and then all of a sudden, boom. it's crazy how big it's gotten. >> reporter: did you ever expect it to be such a massive success? >> yes.

yes. kevin -- >> reporter: mark said he did not expect it to be. >> mark doesn't have the same -- much confidence in himself. >> reporter: even after all these years, "shark tank" is still going strong. proof america's entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well. >> and there's always the future. that's what's so wonderful about "shark tank." >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm in los angeles. your heart just cheers for those contestants, right? the tenth season of "shark tank" premiers this sunday on abc. next, the little monsters at the movies. lady gaga's fans get a special surprise. surprise. okay, i never thought i'd say this, but i found bladder leak underwear that's actually pretty. surprised? it's called always discreet boutique.

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and finally tonight, lady gaga crashing a screening of her new movie, "a star is born." >> please welcome the star of "a star is born," lady gaga. >> the fans played paparazzi

last night. gaga telling them she's grateful for the opportunity. >> all you need is just for one person to believe. so, i have to say thank you to my incredible director, bradley cooper. >> the grammy winner gushing over costar and director bradley cooper and of course going gaga over her little monsters. "a star is born" hits theaters tomorrow and you can see lady gaga on gma in the morning and much more right here on "nightline" tomorrow night. thanks for watching "nightline," and thanks for the company, america. good night.