Accusers should be heard

Few things have changed so profoundly in America in the past year as the social and political rules for how allegations of sexual misconduct against powerful men should be handled, and what the consequences should be for those men who have been sexual aggressors.

The names alone make the point. Harvey Weinstein. Kevin Spacey. Charlie Rose. Sens. Al Franken and John Conyers. Texas Rep. Blake Farenthold. Many more.

That’s why it was with relief that we saw evidence this week that one of the highest-ranking women in the Trump administration understands that the rules have changed, and for the better.

Ambassador Nikki Haley, formerly the governor of South Carolina and now envoy to the United Nations, told CBS on Sunday that the women who have accused her boss, President Donald Trump, of sexual misconduct “should be heard and they should be dealt with.”

This is only reasonable. Fair to the president, too, since she wasn’t judging whether the claims are true. She simply said that these women should be taken seriously.

Her comments have reverberated all week.

In response, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that while women should be free to talk about harassment, the president has already said the accusations by these women—nearly 20 of them—are false. And besides, voters knew all about the allegations last year—at least the ones that were made in the immediate wake of the infamous Access Hollywood tape—and they elected Trump anyway.

But Haley’s response on Sunday was perfect.

“That’s for the people to decide. 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.”