Haley after Trump raises questions: We shouldn’t ‘second-guess’ Kavanaugh’s accuser

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Sunday that people shouldn’t “second-guess” Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault. 

“Accusers go through a lot of trauma. Some handle it one way and some handle it another way. Regardless, It’s not something we want to do to blame the accuser or try and second-guess the accuser. We don’t know the situation she was going through 35 years ago. We don’t know the circumstances,” Haley said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

.@nikkihaley to @jaketapper on @realDonaldTrump‘s reaction to Kavanaugh’s accuser: “you never want to blame the accuser or try to second guess the accuser”

— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) September 23, 2018

{mosads}Haley was responding to a question from host Jake Tapper, who asked if it was fair to suggest that because an accuser didn’t inform police of an assault, then it likely didn’t happen — a line of questions based on doubts raised by President Trump about Ford. 

Trump tweeted Friday that if the sexual misconduct allegation against Ford was “as bad as she says,” then “charges would have been immediately filed.”

I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 21, 2018

Ford has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her during a high school party in the early 1980s. Ford told The Washington Post that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, tried to remove her clothes and covered her mouth when she protested. 

Ford is expected to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, following negotiations with committee leaders over terms. 

Haley said Sunday that Ford “deserves the right to be heard.”

“At the same time, I think the accused deserves to be heard,” Haley said of Kavanaugh. “I think that’s going to happen, which is great. The Senate has a huge responsibility here. They have to make sure it’s fair. They have to make sure it’s responsible. And they have to take the politics out.”