Melania Trump says women who allege sexual misconduct need 'really hard evidence'

Melania Trump interview.
(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/ABC)

First lady Melania Trump may have been half a world away on her first major solo trip abroad, but she still couldn't escape the controversies of the U.S.

In an interview with ABC News, taped in Kenya last week and set to be aired Friday, Trump talked about her experience as first lady so far. A preview released Wednesday shows that she also talked about where she stands on the "#MeToo" movement, in light of allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

"I support the women," she said. "They need to be heard, we need to support them. And also, men, not just women." However, she echoed her husband in declaring that people "need to have really hard evidence" if they come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct. "If you accuse of something, show the evidence," she said.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

ABC News' Tom Llamas pointed out that some critics would surely say she needs to support women who come forward, no matter what. Trump insisted that she does "stand with women," but reiterated the need for evidence. "You cannot just say to somebody 'I was sexually assaulted,'" she said, "because sometimes the media goes too far. The way they portray some stories, it's not correct, it's not right." Watch the preview below, via ABC News. Summer Meza

Editor's note: A previous version of this article misidentified the location of the first lady's interview. It has since been corrected. We regret the error.

Explore More
Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.