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By Miriam Raftery
Warning: vulgar language
October 8,2016 (San Diego) – San Diego Mayor Bob Filner resigned in disgrace and was convicted of sexual harassment for forcibly kissing women and putting his hands on their buttocks. Now , the Washington Post has released audio of presidential candidate Donald Trump making boasts in crude language of kissing women and putting his hands on their genitals without permission---actions that constitute criminal sexual assault.
As an attractive woman approached, Trump described her as ”hot as shit” then said he needed ”Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her. You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful—I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet…I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the pussy.”
He also boasted of attempting unsuccessfully to have sex with a married woman shortly after his own wedding to his third wife, Melania.
“I moved on her, and I failed. I’ll admit it,”he said of the unnamed victim. “I did try and fuck her. She was married. And I movedon her very heavily. In fact I took her out furniture shopping…I moved on her like a bitch,but I couldn’t get there…Then all of a sudden I see her,she’ snow go the big phony tits.”
The conversation was caught on a live microphone in 2005 talking to Billy Bush of ”Access Hollywood” aboard a bus en route to filming of a “Days of Our Lives” episode in which Trump had a cameo role.
The tape is authentic. Both Trump and Bush have admitted it. The tape does not make clear where the gropings , forced kissing and other unwanted sexual actions occurred. But in New York, Trump’s home state, California, where the taped conservation occurred, and Connecticut, where Trump has a vacation home, these actions would constitute sexual crimes punishable by imprisonment, Slate reports.
Trump dismissed his actions as”locker-room banter ,a private conversation that took place many years ago.” He claimed Bill Clinton has said worse to Trump while they were golfing. “I apologize if anyone was offended.”
NBC Universal issued a statement on behalf of Bush, stating he is “embarrassed and ashamed.” Bush added that he was “less mature and acted foolishly in playing along. I’m very sorry.”
Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, said he is “offended” as a husband and father by Trump’s words.”I donot condone his remarks and cannot defend them.”
Trump’s wife, Melania, called his remarks “unacceptable and offensive ”but added that she has accepted her husband’s apology., the New York Times reports.
Patrick Malloy, Democratic candidate running against Congressman Duncan Hunter, blasted Hunter for backing Trump in a statement sent to local media. “It is only right for Hunter to promptly rescind his endorsement of Trump given that Hunter was the first Congressman to endorse Trump. Hunter should, then, also be one of the first to denounce Trump’s vile language about women; but I am afraid Hunter may have too much to hide about his own relationships with women given that he has been voted ‘party animal’ of the year twice by Capitol Hill staffers.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan has said he is “sickened” by Trump’s bawdy boasts, but still supports Trump’s candidacy.
Mitt Romney, former Republican nominee,said Trump's "vile"comments on women"corrupt America's face to the world."
Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, offered this reaction: “This is horrific. We cannot allow this man to become president.”
Some Republicans have urged that Trump resign or be replaced as nominee. But Trump today defiantly told the New York Post, “They’re not going to make me quit, and they can’t make me quit.”
E Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, offered this reaction: “This is horrific. We cannot allow this man to become president.”
NPR published a list of prominent Republican leaders who have called on Trump to quit.
Even if Trump were to resign, it is too late. Many absentee ballots have already been cast for Donald Trump and in most states, ballots are already printed.
Trump has been accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in front of a witness. The alleged victim has filed a civil lawsuit. This week, a judge ordered a hearing be held in December—shortly after the presidential election, Law Newz reports. The repeated rapes allegedly occurred at the estate of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, a friend of Trump’s, the Daily Beast has reported.
A New York Times article titled ”Crossing the Line” in May 2015 recounted numerous other women who claimed Trump made unwanted sexual advances on them.
Trump has been accused of rape by at least three people: his ex-wife Ivanka, former business associate Jill Harth, and the unnamed 13-year-old, Fusion Net reports.
Trump has a long history of derogatory and sexist remarks against women. The Telegraph has thoughtfully posted a story titled “Donald Trump sexism: every offensive comment in one place.”
Among other things, he called former Miss Universe Alicia Machado “Miss Piggy” and “Miss Housekeeping.”When she voiced complaints to media he accused her of starring in a sex tape, of which there is no evidence.
He disparaged his Republican rival Carly Fiorina during the primary, stating, “Look at that face. Would anyone vote for that?”
He called Fox News journalist Megyn Kelly a “bimbo” on Twitter after she asked him a tough question on his sexism during a debate. Later he told CNN, “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever, “ an apparent reference to menstruation.
He disparaged military women, stating on Twitter, “26,000 unreported sexual assaults in the military—only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men and women together?”
He called Huffington Post publisher Ariana Huffington “extremely unattractive” and called comic Rosie O’Donnell “fat” and “ugly”
Associated Press reports that insiders on the “Apprentice” reality TV show have said Trump rated female contestants based on breast size and boasted of which ones he wanted to have sex with. His campaign has denied those claims.
He also sent a Tweet regarding his rival , stating, “If Hillary Clinton can’t satisfy her husband what makes her think she can satisfy America?”
Trump’s reactions to revelations of his boasts about sexually assaulting women have included trying to deflect the criticism by criticizing former President Bill Clinton, during the scandal over his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinski and allegations of other liaisons.
But Bill Clinton, however checkered his past, is not the candidate.
Hillary Clinton has a long record of standing up for women’s rights in legislative she has supported as a Senator, First Lady, and Secretary of State. She chose to stand by her man and believe her husband over his accusers, a decision many women victimized by infidelity have also made. While it’s fair to find fault with that decision, her actions to hold her marriage together are not crimes.
Trump’s claims caught on tape, are criminal actions. That leaves voters to decide whether they are willing to elect a man to the highest office in the land who has admitted to treatnig women as objects for his own sexual pleasure, openly defying criminal laws, his marital vows, and standards of common decency.
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