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| Trump Attacks Gillibrand and Blames Democrats for Women’s Allegations | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| WASHINGTON — President Trump forcefully entered the national debate about sexual harassment on Tuesday, again dismissing his own accusers as fabricating their stories and saying that a prominent Democratic senator, a woman, “would do anything” for campaign contributions and calling her a “lightweight.” | WASHINGTON — President Trump forcefully entered the national debate about sexual harassment on Tuesday, again dismissing his own accusers as fabricating their stories and saying that a prominent Democratic senator, a woman, “would do anything” for campaign contributions and calling her a “lightweight.” |
| The president’s attacks came in early morning Twitter posts after several of the accusers had come forward on Monday to renew their charges that Mr. Trump had sexually assaulted them before he was president. His Twitter attack also came after the senator, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, had called for him to resign. | The president’s attacks came in early morning Twitter posts after several of the accusers had come forward on Monday to renew their charges that Mr. Trump had sexually assaulted them before he was president. His Twitter attack also came after the senator, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, had called for him to resign. |
| By inserting himself directly into the discussion, the president ensured that calls for revived scrutiny over the women’s allegations would gain new energy and prominence. | By inserting himself directly into the discussion, the president ensured that calls for revived scrutiny over the women’s allegations would gain new energy and prominence. |
| Ms. Gillibrand was quick to fire back, saying she would not be silenced by a president whose comments she described as “a sexist smear.” | |
| “It was a sexist smear attempting to silence my voice, and I will not be silenced on this issue. Neither will the women who stood up to the president yesterday,” she said. | |
| Senate Democrats, including Ms. Gillibrand, forced the resignation last week of Senator Al Franken of Minnesota, clearing away any ambiguity over their push to hold the president accountable after the claims of his accusers. | Senate Democrats, including Ms. Gillibrand, forced the resignation last week of Senator Al Franken of Minnesota, clearing away any ambiguity over their push to hold the president accountable after the claims of his accusers. |
| The president was pointed in his criticism of Ms. Gillibrand, saying she “would do anything” for campaign contributions, without providing details about what he meant. | The president was pointed in his criticism of Ms. Gillibrand, saying she “would do anything” for campaign contributions, without providing details about what he meant. |
| Ms. Gillibrand said she would not be silenced — and nor would the millions of women who do not approve of his presidency. | |
| “Historically members of Congress have used mean, crude, over-the-line words to attack sitting presidents, and many presidents try to rise above and not return the fire,” said Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman for President George W. Bush. “Donald Trump has made a conscious decision to return the fire. That’s his style and I cannot say he’s wrong to do it. It wasn’t my style. It wasn’t President Bush’s style. His instructions were to rise above it.” | “Historically members of Congress have used mean, crude, over-the-line words to attack sitting presidents, and many presidents try to rise above and not return the fire,” said Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman for President George W. Bush. “Donald Trump has made a conscious decision to return the fire. That’s his style and I cannot say he’s wrong to do it. It wasn’t my style. It wasn’t President Bush’s style. His instructions were to rise above it.” |
| Christine Matthews, a Republican pollster, said Mr. Trump was following his playbook by going “full force against accusers.” | |
| “I think he’s worse with women but he just throws every insult that he can possibly throw,” she said. “That ‘would do anything to get elected’ is fairly ominous — it can be taken in a way that is very suggestive, and I think that is obviously horrible.” | |
| She said that the political climate had changed and that there was no returning to a time when sexual harassment was tolerated. “Having a president who attacks other women for how they look or suggests that they are sexually promiscuous or liars, it’s going to hurt the party over all,” Ms. Matthews said. | |
| The president also blamed Democrats for the resurgence of accusations against him from women in the past, saying on Tuesday that the “fabricated stories” were a result of Democrats being unable to prove his campaign colluded with the Russians. | The president also blamed Democrats for the resurgence of accusations against him from women in the past, saying on Tuesday that the “fabricated stories” were a result of Democrats being unable to prove his campaign colluded with the Russians. |
| The special counsel’s investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and possible coordination with people in Mr. Trump’s circle has dominated his first year in office. | The special counsel’s investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and possible coordination with people in Mr. Trump’s circle has dominated his first year in office. |
| The president chose to weigh in on the politically charged issue of harassment on the day that voters in Alabama were deciding whether to elect the Republican, Roy S. Moore. At least six women in the state have said Mr. Moore had inappropriate contact with them when they were teenagers. | The president chose to weigh in on the politically charged issue of harassment on the day that voters in Alabama were deciding whether to elect the Republican, Roy S. Moore. At least six women in the state have said Mr. Moore had inappropriate contact with them when they were teenagers. |
| His opponent, Doug Jones, a Democrat, has repeatedly highlighted those women’s accusations in the campaign, and the election is a test of whether Republican women, in particular, find those allegations credible. | His opponent, Doug Jones, a Democrat, has repeatedly highlighted those women’s accusations in the campaign, and the election is a test of whether Republican women, in particular, find those allegations credible. |
| The president also sent a tweet urging Alabamians to vote for Mr. Moore, deriding Mr. Jones as a “puppet” of the Democratic leaders in Congress, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York and Representative Nancy Pelosi. | The president also sent a tweet urging Alabamians to vote for Mr. Moore, deriding Mr. Jones as a “puppet” of the Democratic leaders in Congress, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York and Representative Nancy Pelosi. |
| During the presidential campaign, several women accused Mr. Trump of sexual harassment or groping. On Monday, three women held a news conference in Manhattan to retell their experiences, saying they hoped that recent accusations against other powerful figures would prompt their stories to be taken more seriously. | During the presidential campaign, several women accused Mr. Trump of sexual harassment or groping. On Monday, three women held a news conference in Manhattan to retell their experiences, saying they hoped that recent accusations against other powerful figures would prompt their stories to be taken more seriously. |
| The recent spate of accusations against leading men in government and the media, including Harvey Weinstein, Bill O’Reilly, Representative John Conyers and Mr. Franken, has fueled a public discussion of sexual harassment. | The recent spate of accusations against leading men in government and the media, including Harvey Weinstein, Bill O’Reilly, Representative John Conyers and Mr. Franken, has fueled a public discussion of sexual harassment. |
| In his resignation speech, Mr. Franken said he found it ironic that he would leave office while the president had bragged on tape about sexually assaulting women. | In his resignation speech, Mr. Franken said he found it ironic that he would leave office while the president had bragged on tape about sexually assaulting women. |
| Mr. Franken was referring to a 2005 recording of Mr. Trump while filming a segment for Access Hollywood in which he boasted about how he could treat women however he wanted because he was famous, including kissing them and grabbing their genitals. The recording emerged about a month before the 2016 election. | Mr. Franken was referring to a 2005 recording of Mr. Trump while filming a segment for Access Hollywood in which he boasted about how he could treat women however he wanted because he was famous, including kissing them and grabbing their genitals. The recording emerged about a month before the 2016 election. |
| Ms. Gillibrand was the first Democratic senator to publicly say that Mr. Franken should resign, and she has been a leading voice on Capitol Hill against sexual harassment of women. | Ms. Gillibrand was the first Democratic senator to publicly say that Mr. Franken should resign, and she has been a leading voice on Capitol Hill against sexual harassment of women. |