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| US election 2016: Trump says sex assault claims aimed to hurt him | US election 2016: Trump says sex assault claims aimed to hurt him |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has rejected fresh claims of sexual assault, saying they are part of a plot to damage his campaign. | Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has rejected fresh claims of sexual assault, saying they are part of a plot to damage his campaign. |
| "It's not hard to find a small handful of people willing to make false smears," he told a rally on Friday. | "It's not hard to find a small handful of people willing to make false smears," he told a rally on Friday. |
| Two new accusations came from an ex-Apprentice contestant who cited a 2007 incident and a woman who described a case from the early 1990s. | Two new accusations came from an ex-Apprentice contestant who cited a 2007 incident and a woman who described a case from the early 1990s. |
| Polls suggest Mr Trump is losing ground in some of the key battleground states. | Polls suggest Mr Trump is losing ground in some of the key battleground states. |
| During the rally in North Carolina, the Republican candidate said the accusations were "sick" and false, and driven by fame, money or politics. | During the rally in North Carolina, the Republican candidate said the accusations were "sick" and false, and driven by fame, money or politics. |
| "Or for the simple reason they want to stop our movement, they want to stop our campaign. Very simple," he told the crowd. | "Or for the simple reason they want to stop our movement, they want to stop our campaign. Very simple," he told the crowd. |
| He added: "These claims defy reason, truth, logic, common sense. They are made without supporting witnesses. | He added: "These claims defy reason, truth, logic, common sense. They are made without supporting witnesses. |
| "When the media does what they're doing now, that's rigging the system... The election is rigged." | "When the media does what they're doing now, that's rigging the system... The election is rigged." |
| Saying he was ignoring his own advisers by commenting on the allegations, he suggested that he would never have been attracted to Jessica Leeds, one of this accusers. | |
| "Believe me, she would not be my first choice, that I can tell you." | "Believe me, she would not be my first choice, that I can tell you." |
| One of the new allegations involves Kristin Anderson, who told the Washington Post the property mogul touched her through her underwear at a Manhattan nightspot in the 1990s. | One of the new allegations involves Kristin Anderson, who told the Washington Post the property mogul touched her through her underwear at a Manhattan nightspot in the 1990s. |
| Ms Anderson, now 46, said she was "very grossed out and weirded out". | Ms Anderson, now 46, said she was "very grossed out and weirded out". |
| She added: "It wasn't a sexual come-on. I don't know why he did it. It was like just to prove that he could do it, and nothing would happen. | She added: "It wasn't a sexual come-on. I don't know why he did it. It was like just to prove that he could do it, and nothing would happen. |
| The newspaper said it had approached Ms Anderson after learning of her story through a third party, and she had spent several days deciding whether to go public. | The newspaper said it had approached Ms Anderson after learning of her story through a third party, and she had spent several days deciding whether to go public. |
| Mr Trump's spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, said in a statement emailed to the Washington Post: "Mr Trump strongly denies this phony allegation by someone looking to get some free publicity. It is totally ridiculous." | Mr Trump's spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, said in a statement emailed to the Washington Post: "Mr Trump strongly denies this phony allegation by someone looking to get some free publicity. It is totally ridiculous." |
| Meanwhile, Summer Zervos, who was a contestant on season five of The Apprentice in 2006, said the businessman forced himself on her at a Los Angeles hotel and began "thrusting his genitals". | Meanwhile, Summer Zervos, who was a contestant on season five of The Apprentice in 2006, said the businessman forced himself on her at a Los Angeles hotel and began "thrusting his genitals". |
| She had been invited by him to discuss job opportunities. | She had been invited by him to discuss job opportunities. |
| Ms Zervos, 41, told an emotional news conference in Los Angeles that she met him in 2007 in a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where the businessman greeted her by kissing her on the mouth. | Ms Zervos, 41, told an emotional news conference in Los Angeles that she met him in 2007 in a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where the businessman greeted her by kissing her on the mouth. |
| She said he asked her to sit next to him on a sofa where he "grabbed my shoulder and began kissing me again very aggressively and placed his hand on my breast". | She said he asked her to sit next to him on a sofa where he "grabbed my shoulder and began kissing me again very aggressively and placed his hand on my breast". |
| Ms Zervos fought back tears as she said Mr Trump attempted to lead her into the bedroom and "began thrusting his genitals", even as she fended off his advances. | Ms Zervos fought back tears as she said Mr Trump attempted to lead her into the bedroom and "began thrusting his genitals", even as she fended off his advances. |
| She was flanked during the press conference by well-known lawyer Gloria Allred, who has previously represented alleged sexual assault victims of entertainer Bill Cosby. | She was flanked during the press conference by well-known lawyer Gloria Allred, who has previously represented alleged sexual assault victims of entertainer Bill Cosby. |
| At the time of the alleged assault, Mr Trump was newly married to his third and current wife, Melania Trump. | |
| Ms Zervos said she was spurred to come forward after Mr Trump denied during last Sunday's presidential debate ever having committed sexual assault. | Ms Zervos said she was spurred to come forward after Mr Trump denied during last Sunday's presidential debate ever having committed sexual assault. |
| He rebutted the suggestion on national television as he was asked about a leaked recording from 2005 in which he is heard bragging that he can force himself on women because he is a star. | He rebutted the suggestion on national television as he was asked about a leaked recording from 2005 in which he is heard bragging that he can force himself on women because he is a star. |
| Meanwhile, his campaign presented a British man who disputed the account of Ms Leeds, now 74. She alleged that when she was 38, Mr Trump groped her on a flight to New York, acting "like an octopus". | |
| The New York Post reported that Anthony Gilberthorpe contacted Mr Trump's campaign to counter the claim. In an interview with the paper he said: "I was there, I was in a position to know that what she said was wrong, wrong, wrong." | |
| Mr Gilberthorpe made headlines in 2014 when he alleged that he had provided underage boys to British politicians for sex parties. | Mr Gilberthorpe made headlines in 2014 when he alleged that he had provided underage boys to British politicians for sex parties. |
| More on the US election | More on the US election |