President Donald Trump reportedly wasn't happy
with Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, after she
said over the weekend that women who accuse men of sexual assault should be
heard. The president's reaction was reported Monday by the Associated Press,
which cited two unnamed sources familiar with his views.
Trump was elected in November after he was accused by multiple women
of sexual misconduct and after a video of him bragging about grabbing women by
the "p***y" went viral. Since then, the growing #MeToo women's right
movement has increasingly seen women speak out in recent months against
powerful men and widespread harassment.
Trump is no stranger to allegations of improper behavior toward women. At
least 16 women have accused him of sexual misconduct, including Summer Zevos, a
contestant on Trump’s former reality show, “The Apprentice.” Some of Trump's
accusers held a press conference Monday, where alleged
victims Jessica Leeds, Samantha Holvey and Rachel Crooks detailed
their concerns about Trump and called for Congress to launch an investigation
into the issue.
“I ask
that Congress put aside their party affiliations and investigate Mr. Trump’s
history of sexual misconduct,” said Crooks, a former receptionist at Trump
Tower, at the joint news conference. She claims the president tried
to kiss her once without her consent.
While the
president has said there is no truth to the accusations, some lawmakers in
recent days have called for him to be investigated over the reports. New York
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a potential candidate in the 2020 presidential
race, told CNN Monday it was time for Trump to resign. “These allegations
are credible; they are numerous. I’ve heard these women’s testimony, and many of them are heartbreaking,” she
said.
But
Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., warned this week that a new investigation
into Trump, who is already linked to several probes into whether his
campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election, wouldn't end well for
the nation. “I don’t think there’s any forum for us to do that,” Graham
told the Associated Press. “Just think about how that could be abused.”
Haley is
one of the highest-ranking women in Trump's government. She said in a CBS
interview over the weekend that the #MeToo movement shouldn't be
dismissed.
“They
should be heard, and they should be dealt with,” Haley said of women coming
forward. “And I think we heard from them before the election. And I think any woman
who has felt violated or felt mistreated in any way, they have every right to
speak up.
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