Trump ‘had parties where older men chased teen models’
BBC’s sordid claims on eve of UK visit
DONALD Trump faced fresh accusations of sexual harassment last night – just hours before his first visit to Britain as US President. Former teenage models claimed Mr Trump pursued them at cocaine-fuelled parties he hosted in the 1980s and 1990s. They also said he grabbed girls and slapped their bottoms.
It was alleged that middle-aged men would prey on models as young as 14 at the parties, while afterwards Mr Trump would brag to friends about having had sex with other women there. There is no evidence to suggest Mr Trump had sex with underage girls or was involved in any drug-taking.
The allegations were reported on BBC One last night during an edition of Panorama called Trump: Is the President a Sex Pest?
The White House has not responded to the claims.
Mr Trump has previously denied allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour from more than 20 women, including a former contestant on the US version of reality TV show The Apprentice, which he hosted. He has claimed the allegations are politically motivated.
Mr Trump and his wife Melania will arrive in the UK on Thursday. His visit will include tea with the Queen at Windsor Castle and talks with the Prime Minister at her country retreat, Chequers.
The President, 72, will spend most of his four-day trip in Scotland, his mother’s birthplace. He owns two golf courses there.
Last night’s Panorama featured interviews with men and women who attended Mr Trump’s parties when he was in his 40s. Barbara Pilling said she was 17 when she was told by her modelling agency to go to one of them in New York.
‘[Mr Trump] said, “How old are you?” and I said 17,’ Miss Pilling said. ‘He goes, “Oh great, so you’re not too old and not too young. That’s just great.” I felt like I was in the presence of a shark getting ready to bite me.
‘I remember one of the waitresses offered him a drink. He didn’t take the drink and he slapped her bottom. She was a blonde. He was very loud. He was like, “don’t worry, that’s not your tip”.’
Miss Pilling said other models at the party spoke to her about Mr Trump’s behaviour. She added: ‘I went to the washroom and a girl was coming out, and I go: “Have you talked to that Trump guy?” She goes, “Yeah, as I was walking by he’s trying to grab my ass.” ’
A man who attended several of the parties, who did not want to be named, told Panorama that wealthy older men went to them to have sex with young models.
‘ There was a lot of cocaine around, there was a lot alcohol,’ he said. ‘There were all older men – these were guys who could easily be their fathers two times over. It was kind of a feeding frenzy. The girls were there as consumables.’
He said Mr Trump was notorious for his behaviour with young models at the parties. ‘We do know that he was having sex with them, no question about it,’ he added.
‘He would brag about it to friends. It would get around that he scored, maybe one or two girls at a time, which is what he loved to do.’
Former model Heather Braden said she saw Mr Trump at a party in Florida. She said: ‘There were four men and probably 50 models. I felt like a piece of meat in a market. I mean, what else could I feel like?’
Mr Trump was married to his first wife Ivana through the 1980s until 1992. He was married to second wife Marla Marples from 1993 until 1999, and married the First Lady in 2005.