During his first run for president eight years ago, a 2005 video was unearthed of Donald Trump bragging to Access Hollywood co-host Billy Bush about sexually assaulting women.
On the tape, audio of Donald Trump can be heard saying, “I just start kissing them. 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. You can do anything.”
“This fucking guy is a sexual predator who treats women like objects and brags to people about his horrible criminal behavior,” said American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson Brandon Weathersby. “After the release of the Access Hollywood tape, we warned that Donald Trump was a known predator who didn’t respect women or their rights. Trump spent the next four years as president proving us correct by creating barriers to full equality and rolling back workplace protections against discrimination and sexual harassment. We’ve already experienced what it’s like to have a predator in the Oval Office — we can’t do it again.”
Trump’s casually candid comments shed light on a known pattern of predatory behavior going back to the 1970s. Donald Trump has been accused of sexual assault, harassment, or predation by at least 26 women over several decades, including:
- Jessica Leeds claimed Trump placed his hands on her like an “octopus” while sitting next to her on a plane in the 1980s.
- Ivana Trump maintained her allegations that Trump violated her in 1989, even after retracting the word rape.
- Kristin Anderson alleged that Trump slid his hand up her skirt and touched her vagina while at a Manhattan nightclub in the early 1990s.
- Cathy Heller accused Trump of forcibly kissing her at Mar-a-Lago in the 1990s.
- Jill Harth accused Trump of making aggressive, unwanted sexual advances towards her in 1993.
- Lauren Petrella reported that she found Trump “unannounced and uninvited, in her bed” in 1993.
- Lisa Boyne alleged that Trump looked up women’s skirts and commented on their genitalia in 1996.
- Amy Dorris alleged that Trump forcibly kissed and groped her in his U.S. Open VIP box in 1997.
- Karena Virginia alleged that Trump touched her breast after discussing her legs with a group of men in 1998.
- Karen Johnson alleged that Trump had assaulted her at Mar-a-Lago in the early 2000s.
- Mindy McGillivray alleged Trump groped her butt at Mar-a-Lago in 2003.
- Jennifer Murphy alleged that Trump kissed her on the lips after a job interview in 2004.
- Natasha Stoynoff alleged that Trump physically assaulted her at Mar-a-Lago in 2005.
- Rachel Crooks, a former secretary in Trump’s building, alleged that Trump forcefully kissed her in an elevator in 2005.
- Jessica Drake alleged that Trump groped and kissed her, while offering $10,000 to go to his hotel room, in 2006.
- Erin Burnett alleged Trump kissed her friend without her friend’s consent in 2010.
Trump’s predatory behavior continued as president. Several senior Trump administration officials accused Trump of sexual harassment and former staffers said Trump’s predatory behavior was common knowledge.
Published: Oct 4, 2024 | Last Modified: Oct 20, 2024