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US senator Al Franken apologises after grope allegation Trump attacks Senator Al Franken after grope allegation
(about 2 hours later)
US Senator Al Franken has apologised to a woman who alleged that he groped her as she slept and "forcibly" kissed her in a rehearsal for a comedy skit. US President Donald Trump has joined the criticism of Democratic Senator Al Franken after he admitted to groping a sleeping woman during a comedy tour.
Radio host Leeann Tweeden says both incidents happened in 2006 when she and Mr Franken, who was then a comedian, were on a tour for US troops overseas. On Twitter Mr Trump called him "Al Frankenstien" - a misspelled reference to the undead monster - and mocked his previous advocacy for women's' rights.
He "aggressively" kissed her while they rehearsed a scene, she wrote. Mr Franken apologised to his accuser, but disputed "forcibly" kissing her on a 2006 tour for US troops overseas.
Mr Franken apologised for his actions, but said he had a different recollection of the kissing incident. Mr Trump also panned Mr Franken's work as a writer for Saturday Night Live.
"I certainly don't remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann," the Minnesota Democrat said in a statement. "The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words," Mr Trump wrote in a pair of tweets late on Thursday.
"As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasn't. I shouldn't have done it." Los Angeles radio host Leeann Tweeden claims the now-Minnesota senator "aggressively" kissed her while they rehearsed a scene during a tour to entertain US troops in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Mr Franken later issued a second, longer statement following a ferocious backlash from critics who accused him of a non-apology and demanded his resignation. He also had photos taken as he appeared to touch her breasts while she slept onboard a military plane, she said.
"And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women", Mr Trump said in a follow-up tweet.
Mr Trump has yet to comment on a string of sexual misconduct allegations against Republican US Senate candidate Roy Moore.
The former Alabama Supreme Court judge denies has repeatedly denied the allegations and has resisted calls from his own national party to quit the US Senate race.
Hours before the tweets, White House President Secretary Sarah Sanders said the president found the allegations against Mr Moore "very troubling" and that "the people of Alabama should make the decision onwho their next senator should be".
Mr Trump has himself denied numerous allegations of sexual misconduct against him. During the second presidential debate, he was asked if he had ever grabbed anyone's genitals or kissed them without consent.
"Women have respect for me. And I will tell you: No, I have not," he replied.
In an article for KABC, a Los Angeles radio station where Ms Tweeden now works, she recalled feeling victimised by Mr Franken during her ninth tour of the Middle East.In an article for KABC, a Los Angeles radio station where Ms Tweeden now works, she recalled feeling victimised by Mr Franken during her ninth tour of the Middle East.
"When I saw the script, Franken had written a moment when his character comes climbing at me for a 'kiss'," she said.
"I suspected what he was after, but I figured I could turn my head at the last minute, or put my hand over his mouth, to get more laughs from the crowd."
On the day of the performance in Kuwait, she said he was insistent they rehearse the skit.
But when the moment came he "put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth".
"You knew exactly what you were doing," she wrote. "You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later, and be ashamed.""You knew exactly what you were doing," she wrote. "You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later, and be ashamed."
The Democratic leader of the Senate, Chuck Schumer, called for the chamber's Ethics Committee to investigate Franken, saying: "Sexual harassment is never acceptable." The former comedian issued an initial statement saying he did not recall the rehearsal, but sent his "sincerest apologies to Leeann".
The Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell echoed the call for an ethics investigation. Mr Franken said he would "gladly co-operate". "As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasn't. I shouldn't have done it," he added.
In his second statement, he said: "I respect women. I don't respect men who don't. The fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed." Mr Franken later issued a second, longer statement following a backlash from critics who accused him of a non-apology and demanded his resignation.
"I respect women. I don't respect men who don't. The fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed," he said.
Of the photo, he added: "I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself... It's obvious how Leeann would feel violated by that picture."Of the photo, he added: "I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself... It's obvious how Leeann would feel violated by that picture."
But he still begged to differ on her portrayal of him forcing his tongue down her mouth. In Mr Trump's tweets on Thursday night, he also mentioned the "Lesley Stahl tape", which refers to a New York magazine story about a Saturday Night Live writers discussion in which Mr Franken suggested a joke about raping the CBS 60 Minutes correspondent.
"While I don't remember the rehearsal for the skit as Leeann does," he said, "I understand why we need to listen to and believe women's experiences." Mr Franken was quoted as saying: "And, 'I give the pills to Lesley Stahl. Then, when Lesley's passed out, I take her to the closet and rape her.' Or, 'That's why you never see Lesley until February.' Or, 'When she passes out, I put her in various positions and take pictures of her.'"
Late on Thursday, President Donald Trump attacked Mr Franken in a series of tweets. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called for the chamber's Ethics Committee to investigate Mr Franken, saying: "Sexual harassment is never acceptable."
Mr Trump has himself denied numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. During the second presidential debate, he was asked if he had ever grabbed anyone's genitals or kissed them without consent. The Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell echoed the call and Mr Franken said he would "gladly co-operate".
"Women have respect for me. And I will tell you: No, I have not," he replied.
He is yet to comment on the allegations of sexual misconduct against Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, who denies the claims.
As a senator for Minnesota, Mr Franken has cultivated an image for himself as a champion of women's issues.
Ms Tweeden said she was inspired to come forward more than a decade later after California congresswoman Jackie Speier was interviewed on her morning radio programme.
Mrs Speier told about being sexually assaulted as a young congressional aide in Washington.