Melania Trump said she stood with women who have been victims of sexual assault and harassment, but added that anyone bringing an accusation needed to have “hard evidence.”
Speaking to ABC reporter Tom Llamas in Kenya, the first lady also accused the media of sensationalizing some cases.
“Sometimes the media goes too far, the way they portray some stories. It’s not correct. It’s not right,” Melania Trump said. “I do stand with women, but we need to show the evidence. You cannot just say to somebody, ,I was sexually assaulted’ or ‘You did that to me.’”
The first lady’s remarks come after the bruising confirmation battle for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. “We need to have really hard evidence if you’re accused of something,” she said. “Show the evidence.”
The moment was all contained in a clip released by “Good Morning America” on Wednesday in which Llamas promised a longer interview with the First Lady would delve into #MeToo issues in depth on Friday night.
“We spoke much more about the #MeToo movement,” he said. “No question was off the table.” Llamas also said the reason Trump decided to take on cyberbullying as a personal cause “shocked” him.
The first lady has often had to tread a fine line given that her husband has faced multiple accusations of sexual misconduct — which he has steadfastly denied. She has also taken a public stance against cyberbullying despite the president’s persistent use of his Twitter account to demean rivals.
Melania Trump’s multination tour of Africa is her first solo trip abroad since becoming first lady. The famously reclusive Trump spoke a bit to reporters in Egypt in addition to her sit-down with Llamas.