With less than two hours until the second presidential debate, Donald
Trump appeared before reporters with women who have accused former
President Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct in decades past.
One by one, the women defended Trump, denounced Clinton and criticized Hillary Clinton, Trump's Democratic opponent.
"Mr.
Trump may have said some bad words," said Juanita Broaddrick. "But Bill
Clinton raped me. And Hillary Clinton threatened me. I don’t think
there’s any comparison."
Broaddrick has previously said Clinton
raped her in 1978, an accusation was never adjudicated and did not
emerge publicly until 21 years later.
The statement that Hillary
"threatened" her is a reference to a conversation the two had shortly
after the encounter she has said she had with Bill. At a political
event, Hillary Clinton thanked Broaddrick, who had volunteered for Bill
Clinton's campaign for Arkansas governor. Broaddrick has said she felt
Hillary was thanking her for not exposing Bill. Clinton has said she
doesn't remember the conversation.
It quickly became apparent
that Trump's media event, no more than a few minutes long, was designed
to help draw attention from his own flailing campaign after dozens of
Republicans rescinded their support of him over a 2005 video in which he
talks about taking advantage of his celebrity to grope women.
Trump
has repeatedly pointed to allegations against Bill Clinton as his own
history with women has been scrutinized during the campaign.
When the event ended, a reporter shouted at Trump, "Why did you say you touch women without their consent?"
He
didn't respond, but Paula Jones, a former Arkansas state employee who
accused Bill Clinton of sexually harassing her in 1991, replied, "Why
don’t you go ask Bill Clinton that? Ask Hillary as well."
Jones' lawsuit against Clinton was settled for $850,000 without any admission of wrongdoing.
Kathleen Willey, who accused Clinton of groping her in the White House in 1993, was also with Trump.
Also
next to Trump was Kathy Shelton. Hillary Clinton, in her work as a
defense lawyer, represented a man charged with raping Shelton when she
was 12.
"Hillary put me through something you would never put a 12-year-old through," Shelton said.
Clinton did not volunteer to take the case, which resulted in a plea bargain.
"You went through a lot," Trump replied.
"Yes, sir, I did," she said.
Clinton
communications director Jennifer Palmieri issued a statement saying,
“We’re not surprised to see Donald Trump continue his destructive race
to the bottom."
Palmieri added, "As always, [Clinton is] prepared to handle whatever Donald Trump throws her way.”
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