Donald Trump says Brett Kavanaugh saga shows it’s a ‘scary time for young men’

Donald Trump says Brett Kavanaugh’s story could happen to any man who now may be presumed guilty even when innocent.

US President Donald Trump addresses the National Electrical Contractors Association Convention in Philadelphia.

President Donald Trump said allegations of sexual misconduct against his US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh showed that “it’s a very scary time for young men in America” who now may be presumed guilty even when innocent.

Five days after a Senate hearing in which a university professor, Christine Blasey Ford, detailed her sexual assault allegation against Judge Kavanaugh, Mr Trump seemed to raise the issue of false accusations against men.

The fight over Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination comes against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement fighting sexual harassment and assault that has toppled a succession of powerful men.

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Under pressure from moderate fellow Republicans, Mr Trump on Friday ordered an FBI investigation lasting up to a week into the allegations against his nominee. But speaking outside the White House, Mr Trump said: “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.”

“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.

“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,” Mr Trump said.

Ms Ford testified last Thursday that Judge Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in 1982 when they were high school students in Maryland. Judge Kavanaugh denied the accusation, as well as claims by two other women of sexual misconduct in the 1980s.

Republican Senator Jeff Flake, who approved Judge Kavanaugh only after requesting the FBI conduct an investigation of the sexual misconduct allegations, said the nomination would end if the probe found the nominee had lied in his Senate testimony.

“I don’t think you should lie to Congress,” Mr Trump said on Tuesday. “There have been a lot of people over the last year that have lied to Congress, and to me that would not be acceptable.”

Republicans control the Senate by a 51-49 margin. That means if all the Democrats vote against Judge Kavanaugh, Mr Trump could not afford to have more than one Republican oppose his nominee, with Vice President Mike Pence casting a tie-breaking vote.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday each senator will get a copy of the FBI’s report on its investigation.

“But here’s what we know ... one thing for sure. The Senate will vote on Judge Kavanaugh here, on this floor, this week,” Senator McConnell told the chamber.”

Reuters