GEORGETOWN, Ky. – Speculation about President Donald Trump’s opinion on the #MeToo movement has felt never-ending, but does his recent tweet have a hidden answer?
In a recent tweet posted on Feb. 10, 2018, Trump said, “Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused – life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?”
This tweet came after a long string of accusations made by women against prominent men.
The accused includes Matt Lauer, who was recently fired from NBC News after two decades of co-hosting “The Today Show” after a female colleague accused him of inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.
“I think he should have been on a suspended leave, pending an investigation,” said Mikayla Cornett, University of Kentucky psychology junior. “I think once it was looked into and he proved guilty, he should 100 percent be fired.”
Cornett also noted that anything could be turned for one’s personal gain, which is why she would push for an investigation first. “Things of this nature should be looked into first,” she said.
According to www.metoomvmt.org, the #MeToo movement was created in 2006 by Tarana Burke to help survivors of sexual assault know they are not alone.
In 2017, the #MeToo movement blew up on social media after Alyssa Milano shared an image that said, “Me too. Suggested by a friend: “If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too.’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.”
Women, and men, began sharing their personal sexual assault experiences with the hashtag.
“I have a great respect for men and women who feel comfortable enough to bring attention to their past trauma,” said Kellsie Kennedy, University of Kentucky English junior, “Through speaking out, hopefully we can work to end the suffering these men and women have felt.”
Among the prominent men recently accused is Kevin Spacey.
Spacey was first accused by Anthony Rapp of making sexual advances toward him at 14-years-old. After piling accusations against Spacey, Netflix cut all ties to him including the latest season of “House of Cards.”
“Netflix made the right call by removing him after the allegations,” said Abigail Norris, Lexington, Ky. resident. “No company should remain affiliated with someone who says if they did sexually assault someone, it was due to drunken behavior.”
Norris also added that Netflix was right for their zero-tolerance of Spacey.
Norris said that even though the public may never know whether the accusation was true, Spacey’s statements to the accusation “further push the idea that abusers don’t have to be held accountable for their actions.”
But Trump’s tweet has risen the question: Does he agree with the #MeToo movement, or not?
According to Kennedy, he does not. “I imagine President Trump is not in support of the #MeToo movement based on his tweet,” she said.
Norris also agreed that, based off the tweet, he does not fully support the movement. She added that Trump’s tweet is only focused on the accused, not the survivors of sexual assault. “If he did support the movement, he would speak of the survivors’ lives being shattered from the abuse, not the other way around,” Norris said.
Cornett said she believes Trump is stuck in a mentality that the “man is over the woman.”
“I think he, too, should wait until an investigation has been conducted before forming his own opinion and especially before putting it out into the world,” Cornett said.
No follow-up tweets have been posted from Trump explaining his position.
Thumbnail photo by Dave Davidson