Trump even made lewd remarks about his daughter
Wave of senior Republicans desert him as he hits back with rape taunt at Bill Clinton
DONALD Trump’s presidential campaign was facing meltdown last night as senior Republicans deserted him over his taped boasts about groping women.
The second televised debate with Hillary Clinton early this morning was widely seen as the moment when many Republican leaders would decide whether to reject his faltering campaign completely.
As tapes of Mr Trump revelling in the sexual abuse of women emerged – and recordings of him saying his own daughter Ivanka was ‘voluptuous’ resurfaced – he spent yesterday trying to switch attention by referring to unsubstantiated rape allegations against Bill Clinton and portraying Mrs Clinton as an ‘enabler’ of her husband’s alleged abuse of women.
A key ally of Mr Trump, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, said the tycoon was ‘very embarrassed’ about the video, shot for a TV soap in 2005.
But Mr Trump vowed to stay in the election race – which ends in less than a month – apparently unfazed by stinging criticism from across the political spectrum. In the
‘When you’re a star, you can do anything’
explosive video, Mr Trump – then newly married to wife Melania – boasts to laughing male companions about how he is able to sexually assault women without compunction because of his fame. Referring to a married woman, later identified as Nancy O’Dell, the co-host of Mr Trump’s Miss USA pageant, he said he had ‘moved on her like a bitch’ although his attempt to bed her was unsuccessful.
Then, referring to Days of Our Lives actress Arianne Zucker whom he was about to meet, Mr Trump said: ‘I’ve gotta use some 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. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p****. You can do anything.’
In a further embarrassment for the presidential hopeful, recordings from 2006 revealed he said on radio that daughter Ivanka, then 25, was ‘voluptuous’ and ‘an amazing beauty’ with ‘the best body’. And he told TV show The View: ‘If Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.’
Mr Trump had already attracted controversy for making a string of sexist remarks, but in the latest episode he was widely seen as having crossed a line from being lewd to revelling in the sexual assault and abuse of women. He quickly apologised and described his remarks as ‘foolish’ and unrepresentative of him.
Yesterday, a poll showed that 43 per cent of voters believe he should withdraw from the race. Miss O’Dell described his remarks as sad and disappointing, adding: ‘Politics aside, I’m saddened that these comments still exist in our society at all.’
Westminster has largely refrained from commenting on the US election, but Education Secretary Justine Greening said yesterday: ‘As a woman, I felt (his comments) were utterly crass.’
Dozens of senior Republicans have denounced Mr Trump’s comments, including Senator John McCain, who said Mr Trump’s behaviour ‘makes it impossible to continue to offer even conditional support for his candidacy’.
Even his running mate, Mike Pence, said he was ‘offended’ by the tycoon’s com- ments. ‘I do not condone his remarks and cannot defend them,’ he said, adding that he would pray for the Trump family.
Mr Trump, who would have to step out of the presidential race voluntarily, hit back at his critics on Twitter, writing: ‘So many self-righteous hypocrites. Watch their poll numbers – and elections – go down!’
He also shared Twitter posts from an account reportedly belonging to Juanita Broaddrick, who years ago accused Mr Clinton of raping her.