"My whole life, I've heard you're innocent until proven guilty," President Donald Trump said regarding his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. "But now you're guilty until proven innocent. That is a very, very difficult standard." | Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images kavanaugh confirmation Trump on sexual assault claims: 'It's a very scary time for young men in America'

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that it is a "very scary time for young men" following sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, adding that the accused are now "guilty until proven innocent."

"I say that it's a very scary time for young men in America when you can be guilty of something that you may not be guilty of," the president told reporters on the White House lawn.


Kavanaugh has forcefully denied an accusation from professor Christine Blasey Ford that he attempted to rape her while they were both in high school. They both testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, and the FBI is now reviewing the claims from Ford, as well as allegations from Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick, who have also accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

"My whole life, I've heard you're innocent until proven guilty," Trump said. "But now you're guilty until proven innocent. That is a very, very difficult standard."

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Trump's comments echo similar remarks his son, Donald Trump Jr., made earlier this week to the Daily Mail, where he said he fears more for his sons than his daughters following the controversy around Kavanaugh.

Several women have accused Trump of sexual assault, which he has denied. Last week, the president said that "false" sexual assault allegations have shaped how he views the claims against Kavanaugh.

Trump on Tuesday continued to express his frustration with culture around the #MeToo era. He said that America is in a realm where "you are truly guilty until proven innocent."

"What's happening here has much more to do than even the appointment of a Supreme Court justice. It really does," he said. "You can be somebody that was perfect your entire life and somebody could accuse you of something, doesn't necessarily have to be a woman, as everybody says, but somebody could accuse you of something and you are automatically guilty."