United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley did something on Sunday that’s probably going to infuriate President Donald Trump, who loves his people to be loyal. In a surprising interview on CBS’ Face the Nation, Haley said that the numerous women who have accused the president of sexual assault and harassment deserve to be heard.
Face the Nation host John Dickerson asked Haley what she thought about the “cultural shift going on in America” in terms of calling out sexual misconduct. This week alone, three lawmakers— Sen. Al Franken, Rep. John Conyers, and Rep. Trent Franks—announced they would leave office following allegations against them.
Haley said she is “incredibly proud of the women who have come forward” and lauded their “strength” and “courage.”
“And 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. And I think the time has come,” Haley said.
Dickerson asked if the same applied to President Trump.
“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. 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 ambassador said.
Since the 2016 presidential campaign, at least 16 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct following the release of the now–notorious Access Hollywood video, in which Trump can be heard bragging about sexually assaulting women and getting away with it because he is famous.
The president has denied these allegations and called them “total fiction.” While a candidate, Trump threatened to sue his accusers after the election. However, one of the accusers, Summer Zervos, a former contestant on the reality TV show The Apprentice, sued Trump for defamation after he accused her of lying. Zervos alleges that Trump groped her and tried to forcibly kiss her in 2007.
Referring to the allegations, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said last Thursday that, “We feel strongly the people of this country addressed it when they elected Donald Trump as president.”
But the next day, former Fox News host Juliet Huddy said Trump also had tried to forcibly kiss her in 2005.
Meanwhile, the president continues to actively campaign for accused child molester Roy Moore in Alabama’s upcoming Senate election on Tuesday.
In the CBS interview, Haley said that “women should always feel comfortable coming forward. And we should all be willing to listen to them.”