On Friday, October 7, a video was released of Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, having a remarkably lewd conversation with Access Hollywood’s host Billy Bush. In the video Trump makes extremely vulgar comments stating, “I moved on her like a bitch” (talking about a married woman), and “When you’re a star they [women] let you do it. You can do anything. You can grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.” Donald Trump is essentially bragging that he has sexually assaulted women, and because he is a famous public figure, women will let him assault them. It honestly baffles me that people, even women, are trying to justify Trump and his awful remarks. These comments made are incredibly offensive to all women and cannot be defended in the slightest.
Donald Trump was born extremely privileged. He built an empire with his father’s money and became very famous for his businesses. However, Trump’s accomplishments, wealth, stardom, or social status does not condone his repeated horrible actions and comments toward women as ‘okay’. You can have all the money in the world or be the biggest celebrity to ever walk this earth, but that still does not give you the right to assault someone. No one is entitled to another person’s body. Sexual assault is a very real issue for both women and men in this world, and Donald Trump, who is running to be the leader of the free world, is brushing it off as no big deal – or in his own terms, “locker room talk.” When did bragging about sexually assaulting a woman become locker room talk? Sure, I understand that guys can say some dirty things about women in private (which I also disapprove of), but Trump is talking about committing a crime. In the video, he clearly tells Bush he has physically forced himself on women. In no way, shape, or form can a man boasting about assaulting women be okay.
During the final presidential debate Sunday night Donald Trump, in his defense of the video released Friday, criticized Bill Clinton for his offensive actions toward women in the past. Trump made the attack on Bill for raping a 12-year-old girl in 1975. I am in no way defending Bill Clinton's actions, but let’s not forget about the case filed against Donald Trump for raping a 13-year-old girl in 1997. Donald Trump actually has a court date on October 14 regarding this child-rape lawsuit. But, of course, Donald Trump disregarded the case as being “made up,” The worst part is this case is not the first nor the only rape charge that has been filed against Trump. I would also like to make it clear that if people did not already know, Bill Clinton is NOT on the ballot to be President of the United States.
Now, people who have come to Trump’s defense for the comments made in the video are standing behind the fact that he said these things 11 years ago. That defense could be plausible if 11 years ago Donald Trump was a child who didn’t know what he was saying was wrong. However, he was a grown, educated 59-year-old man who most definitely knew the difference between right and wrong. I have also seen a meme that has gone viral stating “Women are so ‘outraged’ over Trump’s dirty words… I wonder how many of them own a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey?”
First, I would like to say that Donald Trump’s comments were not mere “dirty words” they were outright vicious and vulgar statement’s implying that he has sexually assaulted women. Secondly, I am not too proud to admit that I have read Fifty Shades of Grey, but the logic behind this meme makes absolutely no sense. Not once in these books were their remarks or actions of sexual assault. The two characters were having completely CONSENSUAL sexual relations and treated each other with absolute respect. Where, on the other hand, Trump bragging about how he can “grab women by the pussy” just because he feels entitled to do so due to his fame is in no way consensual and is totally disrespectful to women.
The words spoken by Trump should never be spoken in public or in private, aka the "locker room." His words and actions are unforgivable. Being a woman, I honestly do not understand how other females can actually support this man to be president and defend his comments. How is a man assaulting a woman okay? Since when in misogyny okay? How can Trump’s past remarks about women being “pigs,” ”fat,” “ugly,” “slob,” or ranking women on a scale from 1 to 10 be okay? What are Donald Trump’s statements telling our younger generations of Americans? The cold truth is Donald Trump is sexist. Men and women are equals, but in Donald’s eyes, he will always be a superior male.
