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Kellyanne Conway, a counselor to President Trump, said Sunday that she was a victim of sexual assault and that the Supreme Court confirmation procedure by Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh was not to become a "meeting" broader view of the #MeToo movement, suggesting instead that victims hold their perpetrators directly accountable.
Ms. Conway made the personal revelation in an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union" program during which she widely criticized the "partisan politics" of Justice Kavanaugh's hearing on Thursday.
Christine Blasey Ford stated at the hearing that Judge Kavanaugh sexually abused her decades ago as a teenager, an allegation that he later denied with anger.
Many, including Democratic Senators, saw Blasey's testimony as a rallying cry for survivors sexual abuse, claiming that a vote for Judge Kavanaugh would be a sign not only of the alleged behavior, but also of a culture that tolerates him and fires his victims.
Ms. Conway rejected this idea.
"Frankly, I am very empathetic to the victims of sexual assault, sexual harassment and rape," said Ms. Conway.
She then stopped and scraped her throat.
"I am a victim of sexual assault," she said. "I do not expect Justice Kavanaugh, Jake Tapper, Jeff Flake or anyone else to be held responsible, and you must be responsible for your own conduct."
She was referring to Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, who had been confronted by two women who reported being sexually abused about her intention to vote for the appointment of Justice Kavanaugh.
Ms. Conway said that these women should "blame the abuser".
Mr. Tapper later said, "This is the first time I hear you talking about something personal like this," adding, "I'm really sorry you experienced that."
He asked a question, noting that Ms. Conway was working for President Trump, who himself denied the allegations of sexual misconduct.
"Do not confuse that with that and especially do not confuse it with what has happened," said Ms. Conway. "Do not always present Trump in everything that happens in this universe. This is the # 1 error. "
She did not give more details about her own experience and could not be contacted immediately to comment on Sunday.
More than a year later, at the Politico Women's Politics Summit, Conway spoke about the interview, saying some members of Congress had been trying to "slap their throats or rub or do worse." about it "because she was aligned with Mr. Trump.
"Whenever it happened, when I was younger and at the workplace, whenever that happened, I always told a friend, I 'm I have always told a relative, "she said. "There is shame because you tend to think it's about you," it's your fault ", sort of."
Ms. Conway said at the summit that she had never seen such powerful men after the clashes. "I saw them as weak and pathetic," she said.
It was not clear whether these experiences formed the basis of his comments to Mr. Tapper.
She said she found Dr. Blasey "convincing" and "credible." But she suggested that Dr. Blasey may remember who was responsible for the attack and expressed his support for Judge Kavanaugh.
"They may be right to say that something really terrible happened to him in the summer of 1982 by someone somewhere, somewhere, and that Judge Kavanaugh was not involved She said.
Ms. Conway said that all victims of sexual assault should be heard in court and in criminal or civil proceedings. She pointed out that proceedings in the Senate were not a criminal trial, but a hearing on the question of whether Judge Kavanaugh was qualified to sit on the Supreme Court.
"But we treat people differently, who are either the victims or the perpetrators of this depending on their policy and according to their gender," Ms. Conway said.
The F.B.I. is currently investigating Dr. Blasey's allegations, although some have questioned the scope of this investigation.
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