United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that allegations of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh showed that “it’s a very scary time for young men in America”, reported Reuters. There is a possibility that such men will be presumed guilty even when innocent, claimed Trump.

“My whole life, I’ve heard you’re innocent until proven guilty,” Trump said outside the White House. “But now, you’re guilty until proven innocent. That is a very, very difficult standard. 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.”

University professor Dr Christine Blasey Ford and two others have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. Trump’s comments come days after the Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimonies from Kavanaugh and Ford.

Kavanaugh denied the charges during his testimony and claimed they were part of a smear campaign by the opposition party, Democrats, against his nomination. He told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he will not be intimidated into withdrawing from the nomination process.

Despite the allegations, the committee last week voted 11-10 to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination to a full Senate vote, but recommended a week-long Federal Bureau of Investigation probe.

Trump then ordered the inquiry and said it “must be limited in scope” and “completed in less than one week”. The FBI will reopen its background check on Kavanaugh, meaning officials may speak to old as well as new witnesses. Trump had suggested in a tweet that it was only a matter of time before Kavanaugh was appointed as a Supreme Court judge.

On Tuesday, Trump reiterated the claim and said that Kavanaugh would win the Senate confirmation once the FBI finishes its investigation.

“What’s happening here has much more to do than even the appointment of a Supreme Court justice,” said Trump. “You could be somebody that was perfect your entire life, and somebody could accuse you of something. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a woman.”