Just days after accused sexual predator Brett Kavanaugh took his seat as a Supreme Court justice, first lady Melania Trump sat down for an interview in which she discussed her support for—and reservations about—the #MeToo movement.
“I support the women, and they need to be heard,” said Mrs. Trump, whose own husband has been accused by more than 20 women of sexual misconduct. “We need to support them—and also men—not just women.”
The full interview, dubbed “Being Melania—The First Lady,” will air Friday on ABC News.
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“You need to have really hard evidence,” she told ABC News’ Tom Llamas. “I do stand with women, but we need to show the evidence. You cannot just say to somebody ‘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.”
One year after public allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein rocked the entertainment world and triggered the social-media #MeToo movement, Christine Blasey Ford captivated the nation with her hours-long testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, in which she emotionally claimed that Kavanaugh held her down and groped her at a high-school party in the summer of 1982.
Two other women, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick, also accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct before his confirmation.
On Saturday, the first lady said she believed Kavanaugh was “highly qualified” for the job and that Ford’s allegations were appropriately vetted before the Senate’s final confirmation vote.
“I’m glad that Dr. Ford was heard; I’m glad that Judge Kavanaugh was heard. FBI investigation was done, is completed, and Senate voted,” Trump told reporters in Egypt.
But several Republicans, including the eldest Trump son, responded to the ensuing “Believe Women” movement with concerns about unfounded allegations ruining the lives of their sons.
Donald Trump Jr. recently told reporters that he is more afraid for his sons than his daughters.
“I’ve got boys, and I’ve got girls,” Trump Jr. said during a visit to Bozeman, Montana. “When I see what’s going on right now, it’s scary.”
But Kavanaugh was sworn in to the court—with an apology from Trump—despite a controversial weeklong FBI investigation into the claims and a news cycle that many sexual-assault survivors have said they found traumatizing.
