First Lady Melania Trump says she supports women who come forward to tell their stories of sexual misconduct, but believes that they must bring “hard evidence” with them.
“I do stand with women. But we need to show the evidence,” Trump told ABC News for its special, Being Melania: The First Lady. “I support the women. They need to be heard. We need to support them. And also men, not just women.”
“We need to have really hard evidence that if you’re accused of something, show the evidence,” the first lady added in the interview, which she gave in Africa during her first solo trip abroad last week. “You cannot just say to somebody you know, ‘I was sexually assaulted’ or, ‘You did that to me,’ because sometimes the media goes too far. And the way they portray some stories, it’s not correct. It’s not right.”
The First Lady’s comments come after weeks of controversy over Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who came out on top of a bitter confirmation fight after multiple sexual-misconduct accusations were leveled against him.
Christine Blasey Ford accused Kavanaugh of attempting to sexually assault her when they were both in high school, but after an FBI investigation, several undecided senators concluded that Ford had not provided sufficient evidence to support her claim and voted in favor of placing him on the highest court. Crowds of distressed protesters swarmed the Senate office buildings and Supreme Court as the Senate confirmed Kavanaugh and he was sworn in.
“It is a very scary time for young men in America, when you can be guilty of something you may not be guilty of,” President Trump said last week.