Trump accused of ‘slut-shaming’
UNITED STATES: President Donald Trump has been accused of ‘‘slut-shaming’’ a female senator by claiming she was once ‘‘begging’’ for donations and ‘‘would have done anything’’ for them.
His comment about Kirsten Gillibrand, the Democratic senator for New York, came after she called on him to resign over sexual assault allegations.
It came the day after three women repeated allegations first aired during the election campaign about Trump’s sexual conduct towards them.
After the interviews, Gillibrand, who took over Hillary Clinton’s senate seat when she joined the Obama administration, called on Trump to resign.
Trump hit back with a tweet, indicating that Gillibrand had asked him to contribute financially to her election campaign.
Trump wrote: ‘‘Lightweight Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a total flunky for Chuck Schumer and someone who 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. Very disloyal to Bill & Crooked - USED!’’
Schumer is the most senior Democrat in the Senate, while Trump’s final sentence refers to Bill and Hillary Clinton, who he has dubbed ‘‘Crooked Hillary’’.
Political opponents warned that Trump was attempting to silence critics.
Gillibrand responded by tweeting: ‘‘You cannot silence me or the millions of women who have gotten off the sidelines to speak out about the unfitness and shame you have brought to the Oval Office.’’
She later said in an interview: ‘‘It was a sexist smear attempting to silence my voice, and I will not be silenced on this issue.
‘‘Neither will the women who stood up to the president yesterday.’’
Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic senator for Massachusetts, threw her support behind Gillibrand on Twitter.
‘‘Are you really trying to bully, intimidate and slut-shame Senator Gillibrand? Do you know who you’re picking a fight with? Good luck with that, Donald Trump. Nevertheless, #shepersisted.’’
The phrase ‘‘she persisted’’ went viral earlier this year after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell silenced Warren in the chamber as she tried to read a letter from Coretta Scott King about Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions.
Warren’s ‘‘slut-shame’’ remark appeared to be a reference to Trump’s suggestion that Gillibrand ‘‘would have done anything’’ for donations.
The Democrats were badly misreading the president’s comments, said Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
‘‘There’s no way’’ his tweet was sexist, she said, and only people with their minds in the gutter would read anything sexual into it.
Trump donated $4800 to Gillibrand’s Senate campaign in 2010, according to federal campaign finance records. Before launching his presidential campaign, Trump frequently bestowed donations on politicians of both parties. – Telegraph Group, AP