“Any woman who has felt violated or felt mistreated in any way, they have every right to speak up,” US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Sunday.

Haley made the comment as she addressed allegations from several women of sexual misconduct by President Donald Trump on the CBS TV program “Face the Nation.”

At least 19 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct, the Atlantic reported.

The president has made controversial remarks about sexual harassment on multiple occasions. Perhaps most notably, Trump was overheard talking about kissing and touching women without waiting for consent in an “Access Hollywood” tape from 2005. And his “grab ‘em by the pussy” statement on the tape prompted women in the US to protestmore than once.

Take Action: Tell World Leaders to Redouble Their Efforts By Amending Laws to Prevent Sexual Violence

Trump has been accused of forcibly kissing women, grabbing their breasts without consent, and “attempted rape,” the Guardian reported. The president and his administration have denied all allegations, according to the Huffington Post.

But when asked about the numerous accusations made against the president on “Face the Nation,” Haley, a key figure in Trump’s administration, broke away from the stance of officials like White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

“Women who accuse anyone should be heard. They should be heard and they should be dealt with,” Haley said. “And I think we heard from [Trump’s accusers] prior to the election...I know that he was elected. But, you know, women should always feel comfortable coming forward. And we should all be willing to listen to them.”

On Monday, three women  — Samantha Holvey, Jessica Leeds, and Rachel Crooks — who have previously come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against Trump appeared on NBC’s “Megyn Kelly Today” in a joint interview to share their stories, before a news conference where Trump’s accusers called for Congressional action in the form of an investigation into the allegations, CBS reported.

"It was heartbreaking last year,” Holvey said of the doubt she faced when she came forward with her story. Holvey is a former beauty pageant contestant who has said that Trump would inspect contestants like meat in their dressing rooms.

“We're private citizens and for us to put ourselves out there to try and show America who this man is and how he views women, and for them to say 'eh, we don't care,' it hurt," she said on “Megyn Kelly Today.”

Ever since the New York Times broke its story bringing to light accusations of producer Harvey Weinstein’s decades of sexual assault and harassment in October, hundreds of thousands of women have joined together to say #MeToo, sharing their own accounts of sexual harassment. In recent months, allegations of sexual misconduct have emerged against several stars and politicians, causing some to lose their jobs or resign.

Read more: The #MeToo Movement Is Actually Working, Study Shows

And when asked about this “cultural shift” on “Face the Nation,” Haley said she is “incredibly proud of the women who have come forward” with stories of sexual misconduct in politics, Hollywood, and other industries.

“I’m proud of their strength. I’m proud of their courage. And 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,” she said. “I think the time has come.”

Holvey and Trump’s other accusers have emphasized the need for a non-partisan investigation into the allegations made against the president and pointed to other members of Congress who have been investigated.

"A non-partisan investigation is important not just for [Trump] but for anybody that has allegations against [members of Congress], this isn't a partisan issue, this is how women are treated everyday," Holvey said at Monday’s press conference.

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Nikki Haley Says Women Who Accused Trump of Sexual Misconduct Should Be Heard

Par Daniele Selby