Asked about Trump accuser, SC’s Scott backs reviewing merited sexual assault claims
After another woman came forward with allegations of sexual assault against President Donald Trump, South Carolina’s Tim Scott said any allegation with merit should be looked at.
“I think any allegation made that seems to have merit, we should take a look at,” Scott, a U.S. senator, said in response to a question about Trump’s latest accuser in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper Wednesday.
Scott said he had not studied closely the rape allegations made against Trump by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. However, in cases of sexual assault, it’s important to examine the facts, the North Charleston Republican said.
“The fact patterns are really important in making a decision into whether there should be a legal or criminal investigation into allegations,” he said.
Carroll is one of more than a dozen women who have accused Trump of some form of sexual assault or misconduct in recent years. Her accusations were made public in her new book, scheduled to be released near the end of the month.
The author and columnist claimed that Trump raped her in 1995 or 1996 after convincing her to go shopping with him for a present for a woman. Carroll allegedly told two friends about the incident, and the pair came forward to speak on the New York Times podcast “The Daily” about the experience.
Trump responded to the rape allegations by saying that Carroll is “not my type.”
This story was originally published June 27, 2019 at 1:30 PM.
