Jun 24, 2019

Trump accuser: "Think how many women have come forward"

In an interview on CNN Monday, advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, who recently accused President Trump of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s, expressed frustration that Trump has not faced any consequences for the 16 total allegations of sexual misconduct brought against him.

"With all the 15 women or 16 who have come forward, it's the same. He denies it. He turns it around. He attacks. And he threatens. That is his — and then everybody forgets it and then the next woman comes along and I am sick of it. Alisyn, I am sick of it. Think how many women have come forward. Nothing happens. The only thing we can do is sit with you and tell our stories so that we empower other women to come forward and tell their stories because we have to change this culture of sexual violence."

Catch up quick: Carroll, a columnist for Elle, alleged that Trump pinned her against a wall in a New York dressing room in either 1995 or 1996, pulled down her tights, unzipped his pants and sexually assaulted her. Carrol claims she fought back and escaped relatively quickly. She told CNN that she is uncomfortable with the word "rape," but her description of the incident in her new book would legally qualify as rape.

  • Trump has responded saying the accusations are false and that he has never even met Carroll, though a photo published by The Cut shows the two at a party together in the 1990s. Trump also alleges that Carroll is using the anecdote to elevate book sales.

Carroll responded on CNN by saying "it was not about selling a book about Donald Trump," expressed frustration that "male authors never get this question." She also reacted to the infamous Access Hollywood tape in which Trump brags to co-host Billy Bush about sexual assault, telling CNN that she "felt relief" that her story could essentially be confirmed.

Go deeper: The lasting health effects of sexual assault

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