WASHINGTON – The Senate was poised to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh as the next Supreme Court justice Saturday afternoon by one of the narrowest margins in the institution’s history, as a throng of angry protesters gathered at the steps of the Capitol. The vote, expected at 3:45 p.m., will cap off a brutal confirmation fight that has underscored how deeply polarized the nation has become under President Donald Trump. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in an interview with The Washington Post, underscored his confidence in Kavanaugh’s denials of allegations of decades-old sexual assaults and decried the “mob” of protesters who had descended on the Senate. “I never thought Judge Kavanaugh would withdraw,” McConnell said.