Call for Congress to probe Trump’s sexual ‘offences’
More than a dozen women accuse Trump of inappropriate behaviour
WASHINGTON:THE #Metoo movement sweeping through the US reached the White House on Monday, with three women renewing allegations of sexual misconduct by Donald Trump before he became president.
The accusers — Jessica Leeds, Rachel Crooks and Samantha Holvey — repeated their allegations, coming together for the first time at a joint news briefing. They demanded Congress investigate the allegations, a call that found immediate backers — by the end of the day, 56 Democratic lawmakers sought a probe, saying in a statement: “We cannot ignore the multitude of women who have come forward with accusations against Mr Trump.”
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand tweeted: “President Trump should resign. But, of course, he won’t hold himself accountable. Therefore, Congress should investigate the multiple sexual harassment and assault allegations against him.”
Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters: “This took place long before he was elected to be president. And the people of this country, at a decisive election, supported President Trump, and we feel like these allegations have been answered through that process.”
On Tuesday, Trump referred to the accusations as “fake” and “fabricated” in a tweet.
He also lashed out at Gillibrand — who represents his home state of New York — calling her a “lightweight”, adding that the senator “would come to my office ‘begging’ for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them), is now in the ring fighting against Trump”.
On Sunday, Trump’s ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, left the president’s advisers stunned when she broke with the White House line and said the accusers’ voices “should be heard.”
Haley’s comments infuriated the president, according to two people who are familiar with his views but who spoke on condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorised to speak publicly about private conversations.
The #Metoo movement has led to resignations and ousters across the country, and many Republicans have called for their candidate in Alabama to quit the race over sexual misconduct charges.
In all, more than a dozen women have come out to accuse Trump of sexually inappropriate since the surfacing of the now infamous Access Hollywood audio-tape, on which he was heard bragging about forcing himself on women, groping them and sexually assaulting them, which he later sought to dismiss as locker-room talk.