The accusations continue to pile up around Donald Trump.
Just a few days after he defended his so-called “locker room talk” on a national debate stage by invoking the specter of ISIS, even more women came forward
to accuse the Republican nominee of actions varying from voyeurism to the sorts of sexual assault described on the bus tape.
That many have come to the defense of Trump is both disgusting and unsurprising. While America has made progress when it comes to believing women who accuse men of sexual misconduct, there is still a sizable portion of American society who either do not believe accusers or are prone to logical gymnastics if someone they like — such as Trump, Bill Cosby, or Woody Allen — is implicated in sex crimes.
Trump defends his actions by pointing at Bill Clinton’s relationship with Monica Lewinsky and the women who accused him of rape. While it is impossible to say that Trump is (most likely correctly) calling Clinton a rapist for any other reason but to negate his own charges, it is clear that Clinton’s past would likely prevent him from entering most offices in 2016, let alone the Presidency.
That committing sexual assault seems to be the one thing politicians can come together on today isn’t necessarily indicative of the morals of politicians, but the current state of the patriarchy in America. Trump was typically blunt when talking about how he forces himself on his victims, saying that “when you’re a star, you can do anything to women,” but it’s obviously an idea held by many men, whether they are NFL players, CEOs or blue collar workers.
Many Republicans tried to distance themselves from him after the tape and again after the wave of accusations, but Trump is a creature of the War on Women Party, the party who invented the term ‘forcible rape.’ Democrats, too, have much to be ashamed of, from Clinton and Ted Kennedy’s coverup of his son’s rape to Anthony Weiner’s repeated scandals.
Trump is a cariacature. He’s a grotesque monster, but it’s important to remember he’s just a funhouse reflection of American values. Believe women.
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