Trump says it's a "scary time" for young American men
Donald Trump said that allegations of sexual misconduct against his U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, showed that "it's a very scary time for young men in America"
The president said many are now presumed guilty even when innocent.
Five days after an extraordinary Senate hearing watched by millions of people in which university professor Christine Blasey Ford detailed her sexual assault allegation against Kavanaugh, Trumpraised the issue of false accusations against men.
"My whole life, I've heard you're innocent until proven guilty. But now, you're guilty until proven innocent. That is a very, very difficult standard," Trump said outside the White House. "Well, I say that it's a very scary time for young men in America when you can be guilty of something that you may not be guilty of."
The fight over Kavanaugh's nomination to a lifetime job on the top U.S. court comes against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement fighting sexual harassment and assault that has toppled a succession of powerful men.
Under pressure from Democrats and some moderate fellow Republicans, Trump on Friday ordered an FBI investigation lasting up to a week into the allegations against his nominee.
He told reporters on Tuesday he thought Kavanaugh would win Senate confirmation once the FBI finishes its investigation.
Kavanaugh's confirmation would consolidate conservative control of the Supreme Court, with disputes involving abortion rights, immigration, gay rights, voting rights and transgender troops possibly heading to the court soon.
The fight over Kavanaugh's nomination has been unusually emotional and has unfolded just weeks ahead of Nov. 6 elections in which Democrats are trying to seize control of Congress from Republicans.
Some Republicans fear pushing ahead with Kavanaugh's confirmation could alienate women voters, while Democrats are seeking to capitalize on the controversy.
Trump, who was himself accused during the 2016 presidential race of sexual misconduct with numerous women, tried to link the allegations against Kavanaugh to what he said was a broader problem.
"What's happening here has much more to do than even the appointment of a Supreme Court justice. It really does. You could be somebody that was perfect your entire life, and somebody could accuse you of something. It doesn't necessarily have to be a woman," Trump said.
Ford testified that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party in 1982 when they were high school students in Maryland.
At a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday night, Trump mocked Ford for not having answers to some questions during her testimony.
"What neighborhood was it in? I don't know. Where's the house? I don't know. Upstairs, downstairs, where was it? I don't know. But I had one beer. That's the only thing I remember,"Trump said in imitation of Ford's testimony.
"And a man's life is in tatters," he said.
Published: by Radio NewsHub