This is personal for President Donald Trump.
For 10 days, Trump has watched as allegations of sexual misconduct have swirled around Brett Kavanaugh, his nominee for the Supreme Court.
On Wednesday, Trump spoke aloud what hesa国际传媒檚 been mulling in private, acknowledging publicly for the first time that past allegations of sexual misconduct levelled against him colour his views on similar charges against other men, including Kavanaugh.
sa国际传媒淚t does impact my opinion and you know why?sa国际传媒� Trump said. sa国际传媒淏ecause Isa国际传媒檝e had a lot of false charges against me.sa国际传媒�
With that, Trump cast his lot with the accused in what has become a national reckoning over gender and sexual consent, and not just in furtherance of a long-sought conservative makeover of the high court.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 happened to me many times,sa国际传媒� Trump said, claiming hesa国际传媒檇 been accused sa国际传媒� falsely sa国际传媒� by sa国际传媒渇our or five women.sa国际传媒�
In fact, more than a dozen women came forward during the 2016 campaign, claiming they were assaulted, groped or kissed without consent by Trump. Trump was also caught on tape in 2005 boasting of grabbing women by their genitals and kissing them without permission. Those comments revealed in the final days of his campaign for the White House, Trump apologized, calling it sa国际传媒渓ocker room talk.sa国际传媒�
At a news conference in New York a day before Kavanaugh was set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Trump pledged to listen to the testimony of Kavanaughsa国际传媒檚 accuser and even said he was open to changing his mind about his nominee. But he made clear that he was deeply skeptical of these types of accusations.
READ MORE: All eyes on U.S. Senate hearing
sa国际传媒淲hen you are guilty until proven innocent itsa国际传媒檚 just not supposed to be that way,sa国际传媒� he said.
During the free-wheeling news conference, Trump continued to lash out at Democrats and label the allegations against Kavanaugh politically motivated. He also expressed frustrations with the delays in the process guided by Republicans and took a shot at attorney Michael Avenatti, who is representing the latest accuser.
Trumpsa国际传媒檚 remarks underscored the complexity of the moment, as Republicans continue their efforts to install conservatives on the high court. While Republicans want to move forward, they are mindful of the fallout if they donsa国际传媒檛 take the accusations seriously. Should the effort fail, the party would likely explode in finger-pointing that could have implications in the November elections.
sa国际传媒淩epublican senators have delayed this for weeks now,sa国际传媒� Trump said. sa国际传媒淭hey are giving the women a major chance to speak.sa国际传媒�
He added: sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 possible that Isa国际传媒檒l hear that and Isa国际传媒檒l say Isa国际传媒檓 changing my mind.sa国际传媒�
Pushed to acknowledge the cultural moment, Trump repeatedly returned to the idea that qualified men would lose out on jobs because of allegations.
sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 want to be in a position where people say, sa国际传媒楴o, thanks. I spoke to somebody 38 years ago, and it may not be good,sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒� Trump said, adding, sa国际传媒淭he people that have complained to me about it the most about whatsa国际传媒檚 happening is women.sa国际传媒�
Asked to address the nationsa国际传媒檚 young men, Trump said: sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 a very dangerous period in our country, and itsa国际传媒檚 being perpetrated by some very evil people.sa国际传媒�
Trumpsa国际传媒檚 comments about his accusers drew swift reaction from an attorney for Summer Zervos, a former contestant on Trumpsa国际传媒檚 reality TV show sa国际传媒淭he Apprentice,sa国际传媒� who says Trump made unwanted advances toward her, then defamed her by saying she lied about it.
sa国际传媒淚t is offensive that in purporting to stand by a Supreme Court nominee who has been accused of sexual assault, Mr. Trump has chosen once again to defame and attack women, including our client, who had the courage to come forward to tell the truth about his own unwanted assaultive behaviour,sa国际传媒� said Mariann Wang.
Kavanaugh and his chief accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, who says Kavanaugh assaulted her in high school, are both expected to testify Thursday. Ford has claimed that Kavanaugh tried to remove her clothes and clamped a hand over her mouth at a party when both were in high school.
Another woman came forward over the weekend, telling The New Yorker magazine that Kavanaugh exposed himself and caused her to touch his penis at a party when both were Yale freshmen. And on Wednesday, a woman represented by Avenatti sa国际传媒� who shot to fame as the attorney taking on the president for porn actress Stormy Daniels sa国际传媒� made another accusation of misconduct.
Kavanaugh has steadfastly denied all the allegations.
Trump, who initially supported giving Ford time to speak, showed his rising frustration Wednesday. Speaking to reporters at the United Nations earlier in the day, he said Senate Republicans sa国际传媒渃ould have pushed it through 2 1/2 weeks ago.sa国际传媒�
Trump said that if lawmakers had moved faster, sa国际传媒測ou wouldnsa国际传媒檛 be talking about it right now, which is frankly what I would have preferred.sa国际传媒�
Catherine Lucey And Jill Colvin, The Associated Press
