On Monday, three women held a news conference to publicly accuse the president of sexual misconduct and call for a proper inquiry into his conduct
A group of women who have publicly accused President Donald Trump of sexual harassment and assault detailed their accounts of being groped, fondled and forcibly kissed by the reality star-turned-politician at a news conference on Monday.
Although accusations swirled on the campaign trail in 2016, alongside the uncovering of an unforgettable video where Trump brazenly and proudly said that he grabs women ‘by the pussy’, no justice has been done thus far. Even this wasn’t enough to deter voters for casting their ballots for the tangerine-tinted demagogue. However, in light of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and viral #MeToo online campaign, Trump’s treatment of women is in the spotlight again. Here, we break down everything you need to know about the latest push to bring Trump to justice.
Who are the women?
More than a dozen women have accused Trump of sexual assault and several more have accused him of sexually inappropriate behavior. Trump has denied all such claims and the White House has said all women making allegations against the president are lying. But three women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct came forward more publicly on Monday and have demanded a congressional inquiry. At a New York City news conference, the trio accused the billionaire of groping, fondling, forcibly kissing, humiliating or harassing them. The three of them - Jessica Leeds, Samantha Holvey, and Rachel Crooks - detailed their allegations shortly beforehand live on television. The White House said the women were making ‘false claims’.
Here is a full list of the names of the women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct:
Jessica Leeds; Ivana Trump; Jill Harth; Kristen Anderson; Lisa Boyne; Cathy Heller; Temple Taggart; Mariah Billado; Karena Virginia; Bridget Sullivan; Tasha Dixon; Melinda McGillivray; Jennifer Murphy; Rachel Crooks; Natasha Stoynoff; Ninni Laaksonen; Jessica Drake; Samantha Holvey; Summer Zervos; Cassandra Searles
You can also read more detail about each accusation on The Guardian here.
How has Trump reacted?
When accusations were brought by women during Trump’s presidential campaign, he said that everyone was lying and that he would sue each of them if he reached the White House. So far, no legal action has been taken. Following Monday’s conference, Trump has responded by saying attempts to have Congress investigate allegations of sexual assault against him are based on ‘false accusations and fabricated stories of women who I don't know and/or have never met’.
What next?
It is currently unclear whether further action will be taken by either the women or the Trump administration, but it would be surprising if this simply fades away given the worldwide condemnation of powerful figures - such as Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and Louis CK - in light of allegations made against them. Several Democratic senators have seized the moment and called for Trump to step down. ‘President Trump should resign,’ New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand told CNN on Monday. ‘These allegations are credible; they are numerous. I've heard these women's testimony, and many of them are heartbreaking.’
Yet, a full Capitol Hill investigation into Trump's conduct appears unlikely. The Senate and House Ethics Committees investigate members of Congress, not presidents, and Republican-led committees probably wouldn’t be interested in investigating Trump on sexual misconduct unless there is some sort of connection to the ongoing Russia probe.