One of the women alleges that Trump grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hand up her skirt during a flight more than three decades ago, the New York Times reported. The other says he kissed her on the mouth outside an elevator in 2005, according to the same report. A third woman said Trump groped her rear end at his Mar-a-Lago resort 13 years ago, the Palm Beach Post reported.
This is the statement from Donald Trump's campaign:
- October 12, 2016 -
Trump Campaign Statement
“This entire article is fiction, and for the New York Times to launch a completely false, coordinated character assassination against Mr. Trump on a topic like this is dangerous. To reach back decades in an attempt to smear Mr. Trump trivializes sexual assault, and it sets a new low for where the media is willing to go in its efforts to determine this election."It is absurd to think that one of the most recognizable business leaders on the planet with a strong record of empowering women in his companies would do the things alleged in this story, and for this to only become public decades later in the final month of a campaign for president should say it all.
"Further, the Times story buries the pro-Clinton financial and social media activity on behalf of Hillary Clinton’s candidacy, reinforcing that this truly is nothing more than a political attack. This is a sad day for the Times.” - Jason Miller, Senior Communications Advisor
Did Donald Trump do what he is accused of doing by the three women?
I have no idea.
It needs to be explored.
Nothing above is rape.
Rape is what Juanita Broaddrick long ago accused Bill Clinton of.
That needs to be explored.
(We addressed Bill Clinton in an earlier "Iraq snapshot" this week.)
Since the press is willing to go there on Donald Trump, they should be willing to explore the much more serious charge of rape against Bill Clinton.
In THE NEW YORK TIMES story, Donald Trump denies the allegations and has strong words to the weak willed reporter.
That's what a person does.
If they're accused of something, they deny.
Bill Clinton himself has never spoken publicly about Juanita Broaddrick's public charges.
The first two women may be telling the truth, they may not.
It will be harder for some to take them seriously since they are revealed by THE NEW YORK TIMES which has boasted that it would publish Donald Trump's taxes even if it meant risking breaking the law and the executive editor has allowed Trump to be called a "liar" in print -- breaking with the paper's policy. The paper has also allowed the Clinton campaign to vet copy.
There's a great deal more to it than that.
This does not mean either woman is lying.
Had they taken their story to another outlet, however, they would probably face less skepticism than they will. (Everyone who makes a charge of abuse faces skepticism. That's a given.)
Some will also question the timing -- for all three women -- because if he did these things, why didn't you speak out during the primary when the accusations might have made more of a difference?
(The fact that they waited until now to speak out does not make them liars. And a victim can wait for a very long time to speak out and be prompted by any number of things. The three say it was the remarks in Sunday's debate. That's very plausible.)
A woman's rear was groped at a resort.
She was apparently working -- how clear that was to others, I have no idea.
No woman needs to be touched inappropriately.
That includes Diana Ross.
But of course, on a dare, Dick Cavett groped her ass -- while Diana was in the middle of signing a song onstage.
He got on stage because he's Dick Cavett. Diana had no idea he was on stage.
Is that harassment?
I would say yes.
If it happened with Donald Trump, was it?
I don't know.
I don't know what the woman was doing (I'm not saying, if it happened, she was responsible -- I am saying a pinch on the ass or a grope is something most women have dealt with -- from unwanteds as well as from some guy we were interested in).
The woman who states she had her breasts groped and was felt up under the skirt -- that's assault, to me. (If it's true.)
The kissing?
Women ask me for autographs.
But, yes, some men have felt -- excited to meet me -- that they just had to kiss me.
If a kiss persists after you say no, it's not mixed signals, it's harassment.
I have no idea on the woman stating she was kissed, where the encounter would fall on the assault meter (if it happened).
I also will allow that some men -- and maybe some women -- may argue that the charges, if true, could come off as a clumsy pass.
If they want to make that case they can.
I would not jump over them for it.
I would, however, jump on anyone who smeared the three women.
Their past involvement with other men, their drinking (if they drink), whatever.
That does not matter.
None of the women should be torn apart.
I do not know what happened between Julian Assange (WikiLeaks) and the two women. As long as his supporters are not attacking the women, I'm not focusing on that issue. It will work out on its own or it won't. I was not present, I do not know who told the truth.
It will be the same with Donald's accusers. They have made a charge. They do not need to be trashed. I don't need to know the pains they lived through -- pains every man and woman has lived through, it's called growing up. Their experiences should not be used to humiliate them.
They have made charges.
There may be a way to determine who is telling the truth and who isn't.
There may not be.
Donald Trump can defend himself without attacking the women who have stepped forward.
I'm not going to be concerned with him calling them "liars" -- if he does that.
I am going to be concerned with attempts to make them look stupid or cheap.
What was done to the women who came forward about Bill Clinton, yes.
I'm sorry, what is still done to those women.
How does Jill Abramson live with herself?
But there was Jill, quoting Paula Jones, in such a way to try and make Paula look stupid.
It only made clear that Jill is trash.
To make fun of how someone speaks -- especially someone who hasn't had the breaks you have -- isn't funny, isn't cute.
It's just mean.
Downright mean.
Jill is trash.
She is the enforcer who thinks she can bully women.
She can do it from a British website, she just can't do it at an American newspaper.
Jill, I was a tiny part of the take down but, yes, I do consider getting your lying ass fired to be one of the better moments for me of this decade.
Again, these women have made charges.
Donald Trump has denied them.
That's where things stand now.
Since the press is now interested in the topic of assault, it's time for the media to explore Juanita Broaddrick's story.
She is the only woman alive -- this is history -- to have publicly accused a then-sitting president of rape.
That is a serious charge.
Repeating, Donald Trump responded to THE TIMES reporters about the first two allegations (the ones that paper reported).
Bill Clinton has never responded publicly to Juanita Broaddrick's claim.
She stands by that claim.
It needs to be addressed -- and it needs to be addressed before the election.
I forgot to note the sites that updated when I did the "Iraq snapshot" this morning, so here they are:
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
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