Disclaimer: This article contains descriptions of sexual assault, some more graphic than others.
Recently, almost everyone has seen a video that was released of Donald Trump having a conversation with Billy Bush in 2005 where Trump talked about how he is able to grope and kiss any woman he wants because of his celebrity status. While he has claimed this was just “locker room talk” that he never acted on, he has been accused of sexual assault multiple times, many of them in the last couple weeks. The way he spoke has been defended despite people claiming it supports rape culture, but the truly important points to consider are the numerous sexual assaults he’s been accused of. Because it’s one thing if Trump supports rape culture; it’s another if he’s a rapist. Here are descriptions of the assaults:
Jessica Leeds, now 74 years old, recently spoke to the New York Times, saying that Donald Trump groped her on an airplane when she was 38. She was offered a seat in first class, so she moved into the seat next to Trump. He quickly engaged her in a conversation in which he asked if she was married. They ate dinner, and afterward, Trump lifted his armrest and began to grope her breasts and try to put his hands under her skirt. Leeds returned to her original seat in coach as quickly as possible. Trump denied these claims and, when questioned, called the reporter he was speaking to “a disgusting human being.”
Ivana Trump, gave a deposition in her divorce case with Donald Trump that was described in the 1993 book “Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald Trump.” It described a time when Donald confronted Ivana about a scalp reduction surgery done by her plastic surgeon. He yelled at her, pulled out fistfuls of her hair, tore off her clothes, and penetrated her. According to the author of the book, she described it as a rape to some people close to her. At the time the book was published, Donald Trump denied that the whole thing had happened, even the scalp surgery, saying that the author of the book was “an unattractive guy who is a vindictive and jealous person.” More recently, the Trump presidential campaign said that Ivana Trump was saying that she felt raped emotionally and that Donald Trump committed no crime. Ivana said last year that “The story is totally without merit.”
Kristin Anderson, after seeing the accusations made against Donald Trump recently, told the Washington Post that Trump reached under her skirt to grope her in the early 90s. She was sitting on a couch at a club when she felt an unknown hand slide up her thigh, and she pushed it away before noticing that the hand belonged to Trump. Trump has not yet commented.
Jill Harth, sued Donald Trump in the 90s for his unwanted advances, accusing him of attempted rape. Harth, working on a beauty pageant with Trump and her boyfriend at the time, said that he asked inappropriate questions, flirted, and groped her while they were at dinner. She said that he also groped her in his daughter’s bedroom. She eventually dropped the lawsuit after her partner settled his own lawsuit with Trump outside of court. Trump said more recently that Harth was the one who pursued him and he also claimed her story is inconsistent considering she has expressed her support for the Trump presidential campaign through email multiple times. Harth said that she has forgiven him, but she will not be called a liar.
An anonymous woman, accused Donald Trump of raping her at a party in 1994. The trial is still ongoing after being filed three times and Trump will be tried in court. The initial hearing will be in December. The anonymous woman claimed that she was raped at a party held by convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who she claims also raped her. Trump’s attorney said that “The allegations are reckless, irresponsible, and categorically untrue.”
Temple Taggart McDowell, former Miss USA, claimed in May that Donald Trump forcibly kissed her twice in 1997 when she was 21. Following recent controversy surrounding Trump, she decided to reveal more information, saying that she was advised not to go into a room alone with him. Trump was married to Marla Maples at the time. He denied all allegations.
Mindy McGillivray, told the Palm Beach Post after the most recent presidential debate that, in 2003, Trump grabbed her ass while she assisted photographers at an event he happened to be at. He engaged her in conversation afterward but ended the conversation when his wife, Melania, walked by. Trump has not yet commented.
Rachel Crooks was 22 when she saw Donald Trump outside an elevator in 2005. She decided to introduce herself, shaking his hand, but then did not let go after. He instead kissed her cheeks before kissing her “directly on the mouth.” She had her story published alongside Leeds in the New York Times. Trump denied it as well.
Natasha Stoynoff interviewed Donald Trump and his current wife, Melania, for their one-year anniversary in 2005. Recently, she wrote an account of how, while being given a tour of his mansion, Trump pinned her against a wall and started kissing her. Even after she managed to unpin herself from the wall (because a butler came in to inform them that Melania was coming soon), he told her that they would have an affair. Trump also got Stoynoff a massage appointment at a spa that she had been interested in. When she arrived late to her session the next day, the staff informed her that Trump had been waiting for her but had since left. Trump claims this account is not true, and if it were, it would have been in the article she wrote. He also made a comment that she was not attractive enough for him to make advances.
Summer Zervos, after being kicked off of “The Apprentice,” still wanted to work with Trump and kept in contact. She said that, many times, he would greet her and say goodbye with a kiss on the mouth. They had a meeting together at a hotel in 2007 which she assumed would take place at the hotel restaurant. She was surprised to be escorted to his private bungalow. He started to kiss her in a decidedly not friendly way, but she pulled away. Then, he asked her to sit with him and again kissed her, this time groping her breast. She walked away, but he tried again by pulling her into his bedroom. She told that she just wanted to have dinner, so he brought her to dinner where they discussed business. Later, she was offered a job working with him, but the offer was retracted, and Trump told her to lose his number. Trump denied the allegations and even said that Zervos has contacted him recently for a job opportunity.
Cassandra Searles, former Miss Washington USA, posted on Facebook earlier this year, claiming Donald Trump treated the 2013 Miss USA contestants “like cattle.” Then, in the comments of her post, she wrote, “He probably doesn’t want me telling the story about that time he continually grabbed my ass and invited me to his hotel room.” Trump has not yet commented.
While Trump has never been convicted of sexual assault, all of these accusations deserve to be looked into before being written off as lies. And, if Trump is elected in November, he will still be on trial for the rape of a teenage girl. He’ll have to appear in court to defend himself against multiple witnesses who have agreed to testify. Is that who we want to represent the United States of America?
