CNN political contributor and Playboy White House correspondent Brian Karem on Monday asked White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders if she had ever been sexually harassed.
"As a woman, standing up there talking to us, I know your job is to relate what the president says—have you ever been sexually harassed?" Karem asked. "And I'm not saying by the president, I'm saying ever."
Karem's questions appeared to be an effort to ask the press secretary if she could relate to the women who have accused the president of sexual harassment, three of whom came together at a press conference Monday morning.
Sanders did not answer Karem's specific query, saying the question was personal and therefore not appropriate for her to speak about in a White House press briefing.
"I'm not here to speak about my personal experience on that front, but I am here to relay information on behalf of the president and that's what I'm focused on doing here today," Sanders said.
In his question, Karem also asked whether Sanders cares about those coming forward with allegations.
"Secondly, do you have an empathy for those who come forward, because it’s very difficult for women to come forward?" he asked.
"Absolutely, I would say I have an empathy for any individual who has been sexually harassed and that certainly would be the policy of the White House," Sanders replied.