Nikki Haley: Women Who Accuse Trump of Sexual Misconduct "Should Be Heard"

In a wholly unexpected move, Nikki Haley, President Donald Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, has come out in support of the women who have accused the president of sexual misconduct.

The revelation came during a Dec. 10 interview on Face the Nation, during which Haley discussed a wide range of subjects including Trump's decision to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and increasing tension with North Korea. Yet it was Haley's thoughts on the silence breakers that quickly spread across the internet, as Haley spoke about the allegations against her boss very directly instead of denying or changing the subject.

Host John Dickerson asked what the ambassador thought of the "cultural moment" of sexual misbehaviors being revealed. "I am incredibly proud of the women who have come forward," Haley began. "I think that the idea that this is happening, I think it will start to bring a conscience to the situation, not just in politics, but in, you know, we've seen in Hollywood and in every industry."

Dickerson followed up by asking how the president's accusations should be handled. "Women who accuse anyone should be heard," Haley replied. "They should be heard and they should be dealt with. And I think we heard from them prior to the election. And I think any woman who has felt violated or felt mistreated in any way, they have every right to speak up."

While Haley doesn't see the allegations as a dealbreaker for Trump's reelection — "that's for the people to decide," she noted — she is the first member of Trump's administration to put forth a concrete opinion on the subject. As a former governor of South Carolina and one of the few women in Trump's Cabinet, Haley's comments represent a potential shift away from silence and denial of the issue — a strategy that Trump has fully embraced, even going so far as to attempt to revise the misbehavior revealed with the Access Hollywood tape (which Billy Bush went on to confirm despite the president's denials).

Haley's comments come as Democratic Senators Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, and Jeff Merkley have called for Trump's resignation. Furthermore, three of Trump's 16 accusers appeared on Megyn Kelly Today to say they're trying for "round two" of raising their allegations. While Trump has yet to publicly respond to recent interest in his behavior, the pot is boiling on the matter — and not just from those who oppose him. Now that calls for renewed attention on the matter are also coming from within his White House, he might want to press pause on tweeting out against the "failing" New York Times and consider taking his accusers a whole hell of a lot more seriously.