Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway says she is a victim of sexual assault

Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump, made a personal revelation Sunday on CNN while discussing the testimonies of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh.

Ford alleges that Kavanaugh, a judge who is a nominee to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, sexually assaulted her. Last week, both Ford and Kavanaugh testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

>> Read more trending news

"I feel very empathetic, frankly, for victims of sexual assault, sexual harassment and rape. I'm a victim of sexual assault," Conway said during an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union with Jake Tapper." "I don't expect Judge Kavanaugh or Jake Tapper or Jeff Flake or anybody to be held responsible for that. You have to be responsible for your own conduct."

Conway went on to say that comparisons of Kavanaugh to Bill Cosby, who was sentenced to three to 10 years in state prison for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, are a disgrace.

Credit: Alex Wong

Credit: Alex Wong

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Friday to advance Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court after a day of testimony Thursday from the nominee and Ford. President Trump has directed the FBI to launch a supplemental investigation into Kavanaugh.

“As the Senate has requested, this update must be limited in scope and completed in less than one week,” Trump said in a statement, according to press secretary Sarah Sanders.

Related: Kavanaugh vote: FBI contacts second Kavanaugh accuser (live updates)

“If not one Senate member changes their vote because of what they learn from the FBI investigation, that tells you all you kneed to know about what the president and Judge Kavanaugh have said is a sham,” Conway said. “Let’s just be honest about what this is about: It’s raw partisan politics. You know, I want those women who were sexually assaulted the other day who were confronting Jeff Flake -- God bless them, but go blame the perpetrator. That’s who’s responsible for the sexual assaults, it’s the people who commit them.”

Tapper went back to Conway’s revelation, apologizing that she had been through it, and asked about Trump, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. Trump has said that the allegations are false and have shaped his views on sexual assault.

“Jake, they should all be heard, and they should all be heard in courts of law and depositions, they should be heard in proceedings,” Conway said. “Those who can prosecute, those who have civil and/or criminal causes of action should pursue that. But we do treat people who are either the victims or perpetrators on this based on their politics now and their gender. That is a huge mistake.”

Watch Conway’s interview with Tapper below.

About the Author