Washington: Women who accuse men of sexual misconduct should be heard, including those who have leveled such allegations against President Donald Trump, US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said today as she came out in support of victims of sexual harassment.
Last year, Trump dismissed the allegations, which came from at least 16 different women, as false.
Allegations of sexual misconduct against the president have been given renewed attention in recent weeks after several prominent men in the worlds of politics, entertainment and media have been accused of sexual harassment, assault and rape.
“I am incredibly proud of the women who have come forward. I’m proud of their strength. I’m proud of their courage. I think that the idea that this is happening, I think it will start to bring a conscience to the situation, not just in politics, but in, you know, we’ve seen in Hollywood and in every industry. The time has come,” Haley told CBS’s ‘Face the Nation’.
She was responding to a question on those women who have made similar accusation against Trump during his election campaign.
“Well, I mean, you know, the same thing, is women who accuse anyone should be heard. They should be heard and they should be dealt with,” Haley said.
“And I think we heard from them prior to the election. And I think any woman who has felt violated or felt mistreated in any way, they have every right to speak up,” the top Indian American diplomat said.
Haley’s remarks came amidst a flurry of sexual assault allegations against a number of US lawmakers in recent past.