The Republicans use the same tactics as Trump. Obfuscation. It's no surprise that these so-called lawmakers with terminal moral apathy try to delegitimize the Russian investigation a day after Trump tries to bully Kristen Gillibrand by calling her a lightweight and implying that she will perform sexual acts for a donation. You really think Trey Gowdy is going to conduct an ethics investigation against Trump. Only if he can somehow bring Benghazi and Clinton into the show, which he already wasted millions of dollars investigating for show.
8
It is refreshing to hear truth expressed so clearly, simply and powerfully, in the midst of so much denial, dodging and diversion. Even more refreshing when done with mastery of language. We need some refreshment while painfully dredging up all this degradation, dredging so long overdue. Thank you, Lindy West.
12
Thank you for this essay. Whether the outrage so many decent Americans feel will result in getting this monstrosity out of the oval office will depend on how effectively his enablers can be quelled. The far right fights dirty. The rule of law obviously means nothing to them and they will use every tool at hand to maintain their power.
This problem is not going to go away quickly or easily. Thank you again for your essays... all of them.
6
Great piece, Lindy! Agree with all your premises, but not to detract from the serious topic, your line about In-Churro-Ance being run by Taco Bell was comic genius and I laughed out loud nearly spitting out my coffee!!
3
As long ago as yesterday, a different feminist op-ed writer lamented the lack of "due process" in punishing alleged sexual harassment...by Sen. Al Franken (Democrat, of Minnesota). But today, "due process" consists of Lindy West, feminist op-ed columnist for the NY Times, devoting "a mayfly's breath" of consideration to what she has seen on TV. Ms. West tosses out inexcusable exaggerations, distortions, and outright lies; the latter include West's statement that Trump implied that "Senator Kirsten Gillibrand offered him sexual favors for political donations" and that Trump admitted to "forcibly kissing women and grabbing their genitals." I'm no fan of Trump, but I am a big fan of veracity in newspapers, even in the opinion section. Even more disturbing than Lindy West's lynch-mob logic, is her unnecessary twisting of facts to try to support her cause. Unfortunately, she only does the opposite.
4
Bittingly true and very funny. Love this essay...or op-ed since it appears in the Times.
Seriously, folks, this is not brain surgery. The man not only did and does it, but he lies about too. And what does our spineless Congress do about it? Nothing. Did any male Senators stick up for the NY Senator? The GOP is the party that emboldens the coarsest segments of our society including the evangelicals. They do it through their silence. And to top this off, they are reflection of you, the persons that voted them into office. Good grief. What are you, the Republican voter, thinking? If you are now embarrassed and wished you hadn't elected these serial sexists, the time to speak up is now. And then vote them out. You have ample reason to do so and we're not even addressing the tax monstrosity that will likely pass.
6
We had this exact debate 20-25 years ago with Bill Clinton. What side were you on then?
2
I shudder when I hear Sanders respond to questions about her unsavory boss' sexual attacks upon women. Trump draws in a crowd of trumpos or Trumpettes - well, who else wants to work with him?
So, the T-clones run amuck of the constitution and the truth. And the classless, non-statesmen of Congress hide behind tiresome words.
But we ALL know the truth! Trump was a predator - and only God knows what don't know...
3
Magnificent!
Yes. Just yes. And thank you.
1
Trump is self admittedly drawn to the sexual lures of pretty women. Putting all morality issues aside, that in itself is a security risk. Combine that with a tendency toward other irrational and rash behavior one wonders how he can be granted any sort of Security Clearance, nevermind access to Nuclear Weapons.
5
Just perfect!!
1
Trump and GOP-think are two social-media transmitted diseases.
2
Up until a few years ago, we had members of Congress that belonged to the KKK. One was even a grand wizard. Did anybody care? President Trump was also the host of a tv show. Do you not think some of that was playing up to the cameras?
1
Trump is an admitted sexual harasser bordering on a deviant. That isn't assumption, it's based on his own words.
But let's be cautious. Ive heard many women say that because women were never listened to in the past is reason to believe all women regardless and not even trying to see if they are credible accusations.
That will backfire on an extremely important and long overdue issue that #metoo has placed in the spotlight. Trump is truly a disgusting man. But we need men with us on this and if they are walking on egg shells, it defeats the purpose. We want and demand respect but we also have to respect men and not lump them all together.
7
Yup, absolutely, totally agree. And 53% of whites women voters voted for Trump. Terrible terrible.
4
Well written and 100% true.
How do 32% of Americans STILL refuse to admit what they see every day right in front of them?
It would be like waking up every morning and trying to concoct some reason that it is light outside that ignored the existence of the sun.
May I suggest that every reader also check out, screen shot and share the graphic comparing trumps lies against President Obama's. IN 10 months he has 6 times as many as 8 years of President Obama. And that was using the most rigorous criteria they could apply, and not counting retelling of the same lies. Washington Post counts all of that and gives trump over 1,600 lies so far.
The man residing in our White House is a lying pervert who conspired with foreign enemies to usurp the highest political office in our great country.
Everyone in government who conspires to keep him there is guilty as an accomplice.
7
53% of white female voters voted for Trump, an obvious and bragging harasser of women. I can't explain why.
But I would suggest that women that want to fight sexual harassment need to start there. Men are idiots and will continue to be, until being an idiot keeps us from getting laid.
Before you can convince sexual harassing men that sexual harassment is bad, you need to convince the women that turn a blind eye, or even excuse it to speak up and talk to them.
#MeToo is a great start, another amazing movement shifting societal social norms (otherwise known as political correctness) toward respect, justice, and equality.
But somehow women that are fighting sexual harassment must directly engage, understand, and convince these women that they have the power and responsibility to make changes.
Yes men are responsible for our actions, but as long as you can act like Trump and still get half of female voters to elect you president, many of us will continue to act like idiots, especially if we have enough power to get away with it.
Embarrassing take downs of famous men, and effective use of lawsuits and law enforcement are helpful, but will not solve the problem.
Women must band together and make sure sexual harassment backfires most of the time, instead of occasionally.
6
Trump is Richie Rich. His father couldn't control him so he sent him to military school where instead of learning discipline he became a bully, a punk. He's a boy. His insults are right off the playground. He pulls girls ponytails. Again, real men do not treat women this way. Sorry, that's an insult to Richie Rich
3
Lets see. Men touch some soft tissue on a woman, usually over her clothing without permission. Lose your career and family. Woman in public prop up their breast with bras and silicone. Expose bear skin on their breasts, to young children all day long everywhere in America. Wear extremely tight pants that show most of their pelvic forms. They wear lipstick. They have abortions and kill their own children. Many are employed as commercial sex workers. Many have extra marital affairs. Many work in strip clubs and routinely touch their clients genitalia without asking permission. And nobody says a word. Woman are quite disturbing. They need to be more introspective. In the meantime, my advice, stay clear of them.
1
He told us he assaulted women numerous times. That is all there is to it. Case closed. If you had him on trial and he tried to wiggle out of this as he has tried numerous times the jury and or a judge would convict him in minutes. This is a slam dunk. Every time Fox news tries to tell us it's raining when we are actually being urinated on, we need to call them and their lackeys out for what they are...liars.
4
Tell it, Sister!
1
Excellent column! Disinformation is, as it was with Goebbels, conservatives' stock-in-trade. The bigger the lie the easier it is to believe.
5
trump, whose groping and sleazing shows his view of women as commodities.
Pence, whose view of women as either stolid brood-mares or as temptresses, shows his view of women as commodities.
Two sides of our pseudo-big-tent Republican Party.
Webster's should give an example of the word oxymoron as "a female Republican."
5
It is bad enough the so many Americans are misogynists who mistreat, abuse and oppress women.
It is bad enough that so many Americans are racists who mistreat, abuse and oppress minorities.
It is bad enough that so many Americans are religious bigots who mistreat, abuse and oppress atheists and people of other faiths.
It is bad enough that so many Americans are nativists who mistreat, abuse and oppress foreigners, immigrants and refugees.
It is bad enough that so many Americans are so sexually insecure that they mistreat, abuse and oppress people with different sexual and gender orientations.
It is way too bad that so many Americans maliciously mistreat, abuse and oppress teen-agers and younger children.
"Dayanu" if God should have stopped on the fifth day, after he created the creepers but before he created the creeps. Or at least He should have left America off the globe.
1
Trump is an excellent con-man.
His base believes what he says, regardless of the truth. They WANT to believe what he says despite overwhelming evidence that he is a serial liar - This is the exact reason they tune into FOX and gobble up the propaganda, and get mad when FOX (on very rare occasions) tries to actually present facts that reveal trump's shortcomings.
They WANT to believe Obama was a terrible man and president; They WANT to believe the bigoted and misogynistic ego-manic they elected into office is what he says he is. So, for trump, it's an easy con game.
3
Dear Lindy,
As a conservative lemming, I am not capable of relying upon the evidence of my own eyes and ears to distinguish between sexual harassment and "locker room talk." I depend on voices of authority to explain these things to me, and yours certainly is not such a voice, since it reaches me by way of the New York Times, which my conservative overseers assure me is a well known liberal purveyor of fake news. You can see and hear. Wonderful. I'm sooooooo happy for you. But you need to understand that some of us don't need sensory perception, OK? We've got Fox to tell us what's real.
1
Donald Trump is a winner, not a loser. At least he’s always a winner in his own mind. Even when he is saying or tweeting these nasty things, he’s chuckling and smiling, never believing that he is a dirty old man. Only losers can be dirty old men; only losers get caught; only losers get called out for their actions. And Donald Trump cannot admit to himself that he is a loser.
Like other powerful men caught up in these sexual assault accusations, he probably believed all his sexual encounters were consensual because the women did not grab a butcher knife and threaten to cut off his appendages. He didn’t punch them in the face with his fist, so to him that was the same as someone wanting him. On tape he admitted he could sexually assault women, not because he was sexually attractive, but because of his position and power.
Maybe Trump will never believe he was a sexual harasser, regardless of his behavior or his tweets. His followers would stand with him if he shot someone in the street, what’s a little sexual assault grabbing to them?
For the rest of America, we know him for what he is, a loser.
2
At this point in Trumps presidency I’m very sure that I would much rather believe that Russia chose who won the 2016 race, instead of believing that there are more Americans who wanted this poor excuse for a man, to become president, than not.
Republicans: Losing the last dregs of humanity & compassion . . .
10
Frank Rich: "It remains essential that NBC and the producer Mart Burnett release any evidence of Trump criminality contained in videos or files from THE APPRENTICE. We should not overlook that Trump's history of sexual assault has as much potential to cripple or end his presidency as Mueller, the 2018 midterms and Big Macs."
Why is NBC/Burnett sitting on this material? We've heard for over a year that relevant evidence to Trump's history of sexual assault is on video footage from THE APPRENTICE. What will it take to get this footage released? ALL OF IT!
16
Could it be that humans are hardwired to harass and be harassed?
Is sexual libido stimulated by harassment?...sometimes?
Is harassment an expression of frustration?
Is frustration a good thing?...sometimes?
1
According to scientists, humans are hard-wired to whack each other over the head and steal whatever the whacker wants from the whackee. However, as social animals who absolutely require the active acceptance, help, and good will of others in order to thrive, we have learned to make - and then internalize - the rules that allow those interactions for mutual benefit. Now that we have -FINALLY! - apparently reached the point in our society that most people think that being larger and more aggressive doesn't necessarily mean that you have the right to bully, belittle, degrade, and/or assault people who tickle your fancy or annoy you by refusing to submit, we just need to continue to work on developing the parameters for appropriate interaction in these cases and work on ways to infuse them into the societal consciousness to put a damper on the expression of the unwanted impulses. That is, in fact, what adults do: they learn the rules and then learn to control themselves to avoid transgressing. All of these 'entitled' men who have been exposed of late have something in common - they seem to be very immature emotionally and incapable of controlling their baser impulses for their own good - or for the good of others.
1
I can only imagine the right wing reaction had President Obama made such a comment about, say, Nikki Haley. They would have gone ballistic and been crying for public castration, tarring and feathering fllowed by a good, old fashioned lynching if a Black Man had made such a comment to a White Republican Politician, plain and simple. No Trial Needed, they would have marched with pitchfork, torches, guns and bibles prominently displayed.
So why the double standard? Criminal abuse is criminal abuse, and Trump does not even have the possiblity of plausible deniability to use as he Tweeted it out to the Public and considering all the rest of his very public statements we can very well figure exactly what he meant as it seems he Own Head never reaches much above gutter level itself, especially concerning Women, and most particularly Women from The Other Party.
In Any other place, in any other time, this sort of abuse would have been called out by the Senate and House Leadership, Immediately, as an attack on One of Their Own, even though they are of differing parties, they are the Legislative Branch, and for Trump to be smearing someone like that, with that kind of wording, is the very worst of Libel and Character Assassination, and is very much actionable by the Courts.
Trump has really put his foot in it this time, both the mess and his mouth, in one swell foop!
8
I am outraged at the proposals that Choice can be considered as a negotiable policy for a candidate, to reflect their Constituents.
Would Voting Rights, Civil Rights, etc also be negotiable-- if the Constituency didn't reflect them?
It gets proposed. It should be roundly denied.
1
Do we believe the women who've publicly accused him?
Are you kidding?
20 women have credibly accused him.
During the campaign Trump threatened GOP mega-donors the Rickerts claiming: "They're spending $ against me. They better be careful, they've got a lot to hide." He threatened Ted Cruz's wife that he'd release 'damaging' info about her. He encouraged people to commit assault at his rallies & when campaign manager Corey Lewandowski intentionally injured a female reporter Trump blamed her.
Richard Branson told a story about Trump telling him he was "going to spend the rest of his life destroying 5 people" who refused to loan him money.
Trump stalked Hillary on live tv at a debate. We all saw it. He endlessly lied she's a criminal & he publicly speculated about a gun advocate assassinating her.
Ask Rosie O'Donnell about Trump's endless hate campaign against her - he appeared on dozens of tv shows trashing & lying about her.
Trump's a hater, motivated by rage, a slave to unfocused anger.
His ex-wife Ivana accused him in court papers of sexual assault. Oh wait, she took it back after signing a nondisclosure agreement for money.
If Trump harmed you, doesn't it make sense you'd be scared to death of what Trump would do if you talked? He's a one man organized crime family.
These brave women deserve an investigation.
Their accusations paint Trump as unfit to be president.
Trump should be forced to appear before Congress.
Nobody believes all these women are lying.
19
You GO, girl! Couldn't have said it better.
What about the women who support Trump and rationalize and make excuses for his sexual harassment? We have his wife who dismisses his admission about his behavior as " locker room boy talk" and his press secretary how tells us that it is our minds that are " in the gutter".
Just goes to show you what some women will do for money!
10
It's time for a rerun of Trump lurking in back of Hillary in the second debate to be all over FB. Run Williy Horton ad alongside. Equally creepy.
4
Donald Trump - sexualization of Daughter #1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWxkauh6lyA
Donald Trump - sexualization of Daughter #2 (she's a one year old)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p9mWlCJHBs
Donald Trump - once he makes his wife "a star", he becomes bored with her. (I've seen the video of this gem but can't find it again on youtube, there are now too many trump videos to go through).
Donald Trump has zero respect for women, of any age, and no matter if they are family. He looks at us and sees only one thing: a potential sexual accessory ("arm candy") to be rated, graded in accordance with his needs and desires.
But, alas, the sickness he carries he spreads, in one form or another, throughout all his interactions with others: defame, malign, denigrate, and humiliate anybody who dares to oppose or criticize him.
Does he sexually assault women, physically and psychologically....the evidence leaves me with zero doubt.
Does he have even one redeeming quality....there is zero evidence to even suppose he does.
4
Thank you. Brilliant, to the point, true.
1
Terrific.
Thanks for spelling it out in words a child can understand.
The man is mean and proud of it. Making America just like him: greedy, mean, and destructive.
Making America Last, but First in Nastiness and Exclusion
15
Thank you for speaking out so well!
Your "investigation" is more believable than
any that will ever be done by so-called
"leaders".
5
Brava. Excellent analysis.
4
Trump's approval rating among Republican women = 67%
His misdeeds not bad enough for some.
8
One can only imagine how ill-mannered their own sons must be.
2
Great writing, thanks--Taco Bell! As the professional comics say, "That's funny."
1
Beautiful thoughts. Thanks, Lindy!
It takes a certain skill to make a monster like Trump seem sympathetic, but Ms. West is managing.
If Trump didn't presume to be president, he could be treated as the mentally ill man he is.
Remembering as a very young woman, Sam Irvin, Jr.'s breakdown of statements to get to the truth albeit with a spot of bourbon under his belt asking the unrelenting question 'WHAT DO YOU MEAN?' within the context of the courtroom.
To the human behind Twitter outbursts: what do you mean?
To Sarah H, Sanders: what do you mean?
To our Senators: what do you mean?
3
'Sometimes a sexual harasser is just a sexual harasser.' There's just a smidgen of good news in that, since they also might be rapists. Since Adam and Eve, who can trace the shifts in relations between the sexes? Probably only people with advanced degrees.
Ways to get attention: write a comment like this, or an op-ed piece like yours, build a large tower, or get elected President of the United States. Another way is to provoke people. That could seem all in fun or psychopathic, appropriate or in-. Strange as it seems, the possibility is that a graceful response to such provocation might be more satisfying than an graceless one. In the case of Trump, we are in some suspension in the absence of documents relating to his taxes as well as his incursions on the opposite sex. A comprehensive account of his experiences with women over the years, positive as well as negative, should be put before the public as soon as possible.
2
Trump is a boy. His insults are right off the playground. A man would never treat a women this way.
9
We must go back to the war of 1812 to come to the last time an American President wasn't welcome in London.
It is unfathomable to think that the ruling party in our country supports Trump and is making every effort to stop the investigation into the Russian involvement in our election, fearing his involvement.
Where is the outrage toward members of that party carrying water for this shameful President? How uninformed are the average white republican ?How long before the curtain is pulled back exposing Fox News as the Fake Wizard?
12
"[W]e, as a populace, must remain cognizant of the fact that spinning eternally in the “investigation” stage is a well-established right-wing tactic to avoid meaningful action."
As an aside: You can replace "investigation" with "IRS audit" and get to another instance in which Trump thinks he can keep on spinning us like tops in order to dodge reckoning.
7
Ahh. Ms West I know I have said this before and i will say it again and surely time and again moving forward but good writing as usual. you write it, i'll read it.
5
Of course he did it. Get him in court to try to defend himself. Make him explain himself under oath.
9
Do you honestly believe that Trump would tell the truth when under oath? I don't.
7
Many mental health professionals who study human time perspectives classify Trump as an "extreme present hedonist".
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/book-party/wp/2017/09/22/is-trump-me...
Such people are so compressed into the immediate present that they don't even consider the consequences of what they mindlessly say and do.
4
Trump did it and so do the elected officials who are protecting him by keeping him in office, by extension. It's time to press hard on all of them and demand they either stand for Humanity or Trump, Predator-in-Chief. A foot in both camps cannot stand.
3
All I can say is well done. Yes and thank you.
4
Excellent piece, Ms. West. Yes, there can be no doubt that Trump is a serial sexual harasser and abuser. BY HIS OWN WORDS. But what makes Trump so utterly reprehensible (among a thousand other things) is that he BRAGS about it. Who does that? Well, apparently no one outside of the current occupant of the Oval Office, unless they want to get fired. And, powerful white men are getting fired, right and left. No corporate CEO today, who is accountable to a board of directors, would survive a minute if he did a fraction of the things Trump has done.
The chickens have come home to roost. The tide has shifted. What was never acceptable, but condoned, no longer will be. Honorable and decent human beings everywhere will hold Trump accountable. They won't let go, until Trump is gone.
71
If we can't purge Trump on his offensive sexual "values," get him on policy. This country is going insane with accusations, innuendo and single-party mis-governance. Alabama has spoken, even if McConnell and Trump refuse to listen. Yell louder, women. Fight harder, everyone. As Ms. West says, demand consequences. Demand that Doug Jones be sworn into the senate immediately. Demand that this unnecessary blunderbuss of a tax bill be stopped in its tracks until there is democratic - and Democratic - participation. Demand that real sexual abusers who misuse their power be held accountable and the same speed Sen. Franken was questionably dispatched; there is no question about Trump. Our country has not been made great by Trump; it has been made awful - and by extension, so has the world in large part. To paraphrase one of his miserable locutions, he alone did it - well, he and his minions. They all must be removed as rapidly as possible by any and every legal means available. Start anywhere - the head of the Trump gang, Trump himself, is as good a place as any - but let's get started.
62
It is a shame that Howard Stern would not release the recordings of the shows Trump was on. He was constantly denigrated women. I remember listening once when Trump said it was SAD about women getting older, and how they might really try with plastic surgery and the like to look good, but after a certain age (can't remember if it was 40 or 50), unlike men, nobody wants them.
7
Thank you Ms. West for validating what I attempt to convey to my students on a regular basis: words have meaning and actions have consequences. In this tortuously extended "teaching moment" I retain hope that Donald Trump's too long time in office will serve to motivate women to not only come forward and expose their abusive histories with "real men" but to also run for office to bring respect and credibility back to our political leadership.
1
It's getting more and more difficult to remember just why it was that so many millions of Americans checked their brains at the door to their polling places and elected this piece of off-orange cheese named Trump.
The man's an abominating desolation who, as Ms. West notes, openly rejoices in his own odious behavior. That Mrs. Clinton was in some ways an unconvincing candidate never was an excuse for voting to bury America's soul in Twitter's worst verbal dungeon.
The really satisfying upshot is that, in embracing Trump, the GOP's been emboldened to show its true colors. We can now see what Republicans always wanted to be: reactionary in the most atavistic way; greedy for the rich to the final gasps of the poor; racist to the core and beyond--to the point of implosion; and hideously indicative of how degraded human beings can become when given control of the lives of millions.
The ancient Greeks noted that success leads to pride, and pride leads to arrogance, and arrogance leads to self-destruction. In the ongoing iteration of this timeless truth, repetition will occur with a vengeance.
Sometimes I look at what my fellow males have made of this world, and I can only think, We've got a long, long way to go before the demagogue-shaming is complete and the prison uniforms are properly fitted and distributed.
Ms. West, kindly keep going.
90
Lovely piece of writing. Thank you!
2
Agree wholeheartedly. Larry Hedrick's comments also demonstrate to me someone who has acquired deep and wide knowledge and insight about the world and our place in it. Thank you for saying it so well.
2
Ms. West you point to an uncomfortable position your country is in. Outside of politics such behaviour would result in "you're fired!" But in elected office, without a recall you folks will have to wait until the next general election. It's going to be a long few years before then.
3
One of the best written pieces in the New York Times for as long as I can remember. Thanks for blasting through!
2
For goodness sake, he GLEEFULLY revealed what he does - his technique - in front of millions and millions of us on television BEFORE the presidential election, and he still won. Admittedly he won only the Electoral College vote, and that by only 77 votes, but he still became president (although I DIDN'T vote for him).
His whole life has been a lie, from the time he (took a knee) and faked a HEEL injury to get out of serving in Vietnam while my classmate in engineering school, Gary C (from an immigrant family) signed up the day after graduation and was killed in his first week in Nam to his tweet a day or so ago when he said that US Senator Gillibrand would do "anything" to get money from him.
We all know the truth, thanks to television and his own tweets and words. He's not fit to live and "work" in the house that Abe Lincoln once lived and worked in. Throw him in jail!
13
The main point is spot on: everyone knows that Trump has done at least as much as any of the men who have lost their jobs in recent months, and he should be held accountable.
I could have done without the joke about "In-Churro-Ance™, the Republicans’ Obamacare replacement run by Taco Bell. Caliente savings! Live más!" In an essay that claims to be thinking about the interests of "black and brown" people, this association of Mexican culture with all that is cheap and shoddy was disappointing.
2
Your methodology is absolutely sound. Coming from anyone other than Donald Trump, the words "would do anything for [campaign contributions, etc.]" would be amibiguous at worst, and probably not by design. Coming from Trump, they presumably mean what they have generally been taken to mean.
None of us would hang a court case on Trump's words about Senator Gillibrand; but as your peer, Poe's super sleuth Auguste Dupin notes, "[V]ery much of what is rejected as evidence by a court, is the very best of evidence to the intellect."
Donald Trump has guilt written all over him, and he wrote it himself in capital letters.
3
'Shrill' is never good, and this basic sense used to fall on the deaf ears of a friend of mine, whom I call 'Bridget Jones' when she weathers romance. Ms. Salma Hayek, not only a humanitarian but an actor of talent, has taken the trouble to join others, regardless of gender, to impress on us the dangers of being in the barracks with a raging weird power-abuser. She deserves a garden of poinsettia this Christmas Season, a beautiful gift of nature named after a mild mannered American, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.
Neither Democrats, nor Republicans control this American's voice. Trump is lost. He may be recognized one day as a major factor in changing the course of History. We can not go back to the beginning, but we can start now and conclude our story in a satisfactory manner.
Here I would like to tend my thanks to Michael Bloomberg, Justice Ginsburg, Senator Schumer, Hillary Clinton, Jeffrey Flake, and so many other good Americans, some powerful, all forthright who went into battle with courage, character and conviction with decency.
But the person this American would like to thank the most is a friend from Africa. Perhaps we will meet again, but it is not a given. A devout Muslim, I know that she is praying for America and for the Common Good.
'West of The Moon' are my thoughts for the title of a novel, but Ms. West, please do not remind us of all the errors we have made, but let us clear a safe passage for Mich McConnell and others to exit with honor.
2
Thank you for pointing out a growing US problem: despite videos, microphones and eyes everywhere - for many, seeing is no longer believing. We inexplicably still refer to 'alleged' acts or statements.
29
Outrage, though totally justified, has a shelf life, however long. We know who Trump is, so to "can you believe what he said/did' the answer is yes, of course we can by now.
Other than organizing for 2018 and beyond, we need to answer the most pressing question: Why did 53% of white women vote for him, even after Access Hollywood? What would we conclude if 53% of Black people voted for David Duke (or Roy Moore)? Maybe some biological or chemical agent had permeated brains? Yes, we can talk about men unwilling to accept a woman as president. But we really need to think, study, ponder, address the question:
Why did 53% of white women vote for Trump.
89
Technically Trump only got 26.1% of the vote overall, and if that 53% is accurate--that's only slightly more than half of that. With all the vote manipulation, suppression, and voter disenfranchisement--I'm not sure I believe that more white women voted for Trump.
"The GOP's Stealth War Against Voters"
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/the-gops-stealth-war-again...
How to Rig an Election
https://harpers.org/archive/2012/11/how-to-rig-an-election
http://www.mintpressnews.com/donald-trump-warned-of-a-rigged-election-wa...
23
Not voting at all is a form of voting. Consider the number of people who voted juxtaposed against the number of people registered. Calculate the percentages of it. If "None of the Above" had been on the last Presidential ballot neither candidate proffered by the political parties would have been elected.
4
I wonder if there isn't a certain naivete in women who embrace the idea that, after all, boys will be boys. It is clear they overlook the widely observed phenomenon that very often today, boys will be girls.
1
Seattle girlfriend Lindy, women’s march 2018 is in the making and you’re invited. This time we’re going to voice the rage we were subverting in 2017 before our conditioning to be silenced was brought out into daylight. Our clear focus: to break the shackles of sexual subjugation once and for all, starting by demanding that Trump RESIGN.
67
And what happens when Trump resigns? Mr Peny takes over - even worse [for the country and the future] -- Pence is the 'poison pill' for tRump. I say we have gridlock for 2-3 more years by turning around the congress next year - leave tRump emasculated.
1
If you want an impact you might consider an expression of rage which is in addition to 'voice.' 'Cause when 'girlfriends' 'voice' things, they tend to be disregarded, right? If you want to be in the world of power -- as you see it, from the outside -- you will have to join it. And waiting for an invitation amounts to... waiting.
Your invite is gracious but sadly, a bit on the ambitious side. Lindy can't walk that far.
This is perhaps the clarion call to action that has up until now been absent from all those who want to be rid of the madman occupying the White House. I don't know how I managed to miss her columns before today, but Ms. West has just risen to the top of the heap in my opinion. While there is certainly an argument to be made for fully fleshing out the truth behind the accusations made toward some of the others, Donald Trump is a man who has made no secret of his behavior - on the contrary , he has boasted about it - and it is time to end the reign of madness over which he rules. Come on, Dems...go for the jugular. Thank you, Ms. West.
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Republicans and Independents, too. This is not about one party--it's about regaining the moral compass of the country.
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Ann, it’s mostly about regaining the moral compass from the people who have lost it the most: Evangelical Christians.
1
Here's something that struck me when Trump announced his candidacy :Immediately ,the next day, according to all the polls he was far ahead of all of his seventeen Republican competitors .I draw one excruciatingly obvious conclusion: his popularity was based on his television popularity. Accordingly to much criticism I strongly recommend someone like Jerry Seinfeld as a Democrat candidate. He's popular ,seems a decent sort and has plenty of money
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Sorry, but no. We must not allow the Presidency to further devolve into a TV personality popularity contest. It is the most difficult job in the world and we should run and evaluate candidates based on their understanding of it, their ability to do it, and the policies they envision enacting.
2
Yeah, but he seems totally apolitical. I can't think of one joke of his that touches on politics. Plus, he's very Jewish (as am I, BTW) -- a problem still for many flyover Americans.
How about George Clooney? Jimmy Kimmel?
It's too bad the US doesn't have figurehead pomp and ceremony specialists like the British Royal family. This aspect of the US presidency is terrible burden.
Ummmm. What surprises me is:
So many voters still tolerate bad behaviors of their leaders.
Their tolerance may be understandable if the knowledge of the behaviors is still under the table. It is beyond my understanding of American ethos that they tolerate them when the knowledge became so public.
Or they have not elected their leaders. May well be they selected themselves to influence domestic and international politics.
4
The rise of Trump has been a wake up call, revealing that there are indeed a lot of Ugly Americans among us - America's own downtrodden and exploited peasant stock: loud, belligerent, uncultured, sexist, racist, homophobic, ignorant, gullible people that the GOP knows how to play like a fiddle, with distracting messaging engineered to manipulate the masses so that the rich can get richer, smugly saying to themselves: let the peasants eat cake, or whatever crumbs we choose to let fall from our bountiful plates. Observe Trump's obsequious fans, groveling at the feet of their bellowing authoritarian monarch, and praying for a morsel of his beneficence. The good news: these fools are not a majority of Americans.
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I'm hoping that Donald Trump's get out of jail free card is finally going to expire on the subject of his sexual harassment of women. My hopes aren't high. I was in the military during the Vietnam Nam era and sexual harassment of women was rampant. The few women who were in the military had to put up with a lot of grief. Then I went to college on the G I bill in a really liberal college town, and same thing, sexual harassment everywhere. Then I went into industry, and guess what? Sexual harassment everywhere. The people I worked with in medical diagnostics, pretty much all had graduate degrees in science. Somehow attractive women were promoted over not so attractive women. There was this undercurrent of sexist remarks and behavior from the men all of which should have known better. There were a lot of exceptions. but not enough and I couldn't say anything, I'd get fired.
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Didn't Ivana Trump, Wife#1, allege in a divorce filing that he had raped her? As I remember, this claim was later withdrawn. One wonders what all the pertinent facts were surrounding this explosive matter.
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Donald Trump is also alleged to have raped a 13-year old.
http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-rape-sexual-assault-minor-wife-busi...
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And she said he ripped out a clump of her hair during the same incident (that she reneged upon) because she had made fun of his hair.
He's sick. He's dangerous. Why is he still in the White House?
1
According to court documents, he was enraged because the plastic surgeon she recommended did bad scalp reduction surgery on him.
Seriously.
Sooner or later, the cynical NYT strategy of talking nothing but Russiagate and sexgate will exhaust itself, and the country will move on.
8
Sooner or later right wing commentators will realize that this is America, and we can complain about injustice until justice is served. Until then, we will not be forgiving or forgetting.
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Or not. Apparently you're forgetting how Watergate played out.
Our thanks, however, for demonstrating the obfuscatory "disingenuous debate" that West mentions in her essay.
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Mr. Livingston,
Ms. West's argument is strikingly persuasive. Magnificent, actually. You say "the country will (needs to) move on." Germany moved on after 1932 to incinerate millions and engage the world in a horrific war. Are you really saying that sexual predation and conspiracy with Putin to subvert American democracy are insignificant? Or that these things are not true? Have you no moral compass?
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Dear Lindy,
Could you please help the Democratic Party understand messaging and how to frame the conversation? They’re terrible at it.
Some help with campaign slogans would be useful as well. “I’m With Her”?!
Last night notwithstanding, theDems are masters of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Can we please play hardball, go for the jugular, and turn this country around?
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For me, the most glaringly obvious “tell” was when he stalked Hillary Clinton in the debate.
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Agreed, Lisa. But at that point, she should have wheeled around and confronted him. Right there. Strongly. Had she done so, this male would have voted FOR her, instead of just against Trump.
1
Look, everyone knows DT is a slob and a pig. But Trump supporters don't care because they are under the illusion that he's going to bat for them. I'd like one instance where Trump has helped out the little guy.
Trump non-supporters are not going to get him impeached, so forget about it.
DT wants to be accepted by the big boys - in the political arena its Putin and Xi. And, yes, everyone knows they're playing him for a chump.
In the financial arena he wants to be accepted by the Dimons and Blankfeins, but they won't even have lunch with him.
In the last arena, social, Trump wants to be accepted by the Old Guard of the Upper East Side, Far Hills, and Bedminster. They refused to let him into their neighborhoods and golf clubs, so he built his own condo tower where understated elegance is defined as gold toilet seats and built a golf club where members are social aristocrat wannabes (lots of money, no class).
So I recommend that people keep reminding DT that he is basically a "you'se guys" lout whose biggest concern is that the batteries in his TV remote punked out.
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By now everyone should have figured out that to the GOP, Trump is "their" man.
They didn't care how badly he behaved or continues to behave as long as they can continue to use him to win elections. The voters they court are not of the most principled sort. They aught to be ashamed but aren't or they would reflect on what their legislative behavior is doing to our country.
It isn't just Trump's scruples that should be questioned. Its the GOP and those who support it at any price. Their own children will suffer in the future as this country continues to lose standing in the world. The effects of global warming will be on everyone,not just Republicans. To this I say, grow a spine and a conscience, Republicans.Your children's future depends on it.
Linda Selvia
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An excellent and much needed piece by Ms. West! We need a FULL STOP to the obnoxious, non-stop, vicious Republican PROPAGANDA. May Republican scoundrels (so-called conservatives (fake!)) choke on their vomitous selves. They don't deserve the Heimlich maneuver.
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Guilty as charged; while justice still in the wings, there is clearly an urge to hang sexual predators by their 'canicas', hang them high and dry, while exposing their enablers as a bunch of cowards in disguise (bullies). Trump is a disgrace as a man, let alone as president, deeply insecure and immature, hence, unable to attract a woman by sheer human affect and mutual consent to come close and enjoy each other, sexually and otherwise, as any normal individual would. Trump is unable to establish a cordial relationship as equals and having a woman's best interests in mind. That is why he must abuse the power of his office, and force himself on his victim. A sad picture really, an isolated thug, with no friends, just narrow interests, lost in his ignominious swamp, unable to let his megalomania go, his self-glory out of the way. He is despicable, as attested by women's histories of being reviled and objectivized at nauseum. Let's trust he won't be allowed to forget his ugly condition...without paying dearly (and money is not at issue).
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Yes. And sometimes a demented, evil old fool is just Trump. He's a creature of and for the GOP and their Masters. He has just enough functioning brain cells to scrawl his name. That's all they require, and want. 2018 is approaching, let's be ready. THEY need to learn humility, at the very least. When WE Vote, WE Win. Period.
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One defense I've heard repeatedly from the Trump administration is that the American people heard the allegations during the campaign and rendered their decision in November 2016.
This argument is valid but is not in the administration's favor. A majority of Americans - by a margin of 2.8 million - voiced their disapproval with this behavior. The Electoral College may tally our votes state by state, but not our disgust.
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Brava, Lindy West, you nailed it. Excellent piece.
Thank you!
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Ugh, Lindy West, you missed it completely. Lousy piece.
You're welcome.
I have been taught in my workplace that a 'breadth and balance' in discussions is always useful, and preferred. So there you go.
Ms. West, your columns are the best part of the NYT. Thank you for putting into words what many of us know to be true, but I have had trouble articulating.
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I was going to write exactly the same thing!
I assume Ms. West would write the same column about the husband of Trump's opponent in the general election, Bill Clinton, who was also Hillary's top surrogate in the campaign and slated for a major role in the White House had she won. And perhaps that might explain why the sexual harassment allegations against Trump did not cost him the election.
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She won't. This is performance art.
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She would actually. But, as you may not have noticed, Trump is president, not Clinton (neither Bill nor Hillary).
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Most likely, in a sense of complete irony, Trump may eventually be made accountable on something so minor and unrelated to the big issues that rile all of us up that we will be left shaking our heads and wondering "is that all we needed to remove him from office?"
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Thank You for this brutally frank and truthful column. I, for one, am getting really tired of having continuing "conversations" about problems that are without any values except "right or wrong". I am old, I am an early "libber", I am a feminist and I was a victim of sexual harassment in my workplace and sexual assault in my college back in the day. I (and many women of my generation) fought the battles to get equality in the workplace and to counter the daily insults from louts like the Trump. Sometimes we had small successes - I was the first female hired into a Professional pay grade job by the local office of the Fortune 500 company where I spent the next 33 years and climbed the ladder without climbing into anyone's bed and without (alas) coming anywhere close to the glass ceiling. But sometimes we failed & the current toxic environment of overt harassment and actual sexual assaults both committed and condoned by the so called "leader" of the free world Trump is just plain WRONG and he (and all the others) needs to go.
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I think that every woman complaining about what Donald Trump has said in private about women should give lie detector tests to all of their male loved ones, friends and associates. The question should be "when you were with other males have you ever spoken about women in a sexual way"
I think a lot of this is hypocrisy because I think most women know that this kind of talk goes on in locker rooms, in bars, at work, in places where men meet and talk.
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The problem is one of entitlement: that some men believe they have the right to slander, threaten, humiliate, intimidate, and talk to and about women crudely. (And vice versa.) It springs from power. And objectifying others through sex is the means.
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Yes, but do men talk like this about women in front of their grandmas and aunts, or in front of the boss's wife, or in front of their pastor at church? No. They know when to keep their mouths clean.
So they should keep the dirty talk in the locker room, and out of the workplace.
Anything they can't say in front of grandma, or the boss's wife, or the pastor, should not be said in the workplace either.
This is not rocket science. They used to call it "good manners" or "civility".
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Very nice, BUT, Nice People do not do that in Public, The President is SUPPOSED to be the top 'Nice Guy'. Respectable People never ever say such libel in Public as they are supposed to be the most respectable for our children to look up to, yet there was nothing respectful nor respectable in Trump's Tweet.
Gauging him against 'locker room males' is not going to fly in this case. The locker room is not the same as a very Public Tweet saying licentiously libellous lies about a popular and powerful Senator who happens to be Female. And in this day and age such 'locker room' talk can land one in some very deep hurt legally, especially when one targets a sitting Senator and popular figure of a Woman at that.
I would bet that had Pres. Obama done such you would have called for his immediate impeachment, even without the Tweet being public, and without a full investigation, even if had he merely been Said to have been overheard to have said such there would have been a firestorm, so why not put aside your own hypocrisy, please.
I agree with Ms. West.
But how does one explain these stats.
In the 2016 election of the white women who voted.
53% of all white women voted for Trump
51% of white college women voted for Clinton
62% of all white non college women voted for Trump
In this Jones-Moore election
63% of white women voted for Moore.
Trump's sexual assaults were known [he bragged about them] BEFORE the 2016 election.
Moore's pedophilia was known before this special election.
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To David:
Here's an explanation.
In the history of this nation, people have voted for reasons other than somebody's (some guy's) sexual gingerbread.
There is no legal requirement for sexual or other purity to run for office
or to hold office -- including the presidency.
Maybe that's the way it's spoze ta be.
Voters decide, no matter their sex, their interest in or obsession or pathological problems with sex.
Perhaps some find it unfortunate, but Sex is here to stay.
Doesn't mean people shouldn't aim for good behavior.
And Zero Tolerance could mean the perfect person to lead the nation out of disaster won't be elected because of -- Zero Tolerance hypocrisy.
Human nature. Can't do without it. Can't stand to deal with it.
Whadda ya gonna do?
Doug Giebel, Big Sandy, Montana
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I believe a lot of the voting was the means of rejecting th baggage of HRC. There is also a reasonable cross section of women(embarassed to admit) who cater to this 'good old boy' attitude about women as 'arm candy' and want to play dumb and cute and not get their heads messed up by such lofty issues as equality and dont see a lot of this behavior as disrespectful. ugh
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Sally (I used to live in Walnut Creek and Concord) so I can reply:
The world is full of things we don't like, people whose actions, attitudes and beliefs irritate us, make us love them or dislike them. If some women enjoy being arm candy, play dumb, are gold diggers or whatever, that's life. Been that way since the beginning. No need to be embarrassed to admit it.
Some women, given power, act wrongfully, just as men with power do. It's not excusing male bad behavior to note that the press is not reporting about women abusers and about false allegations of sexual harassment.
The eternal and infinite variety of human beings makes the world a more interesting place. I sure wouldn't want everybody to be just like me.
Doug Giebel, Big Sandy, Montana
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Ms. West, you nailed it, but I'm afraid that society is too conditioned to take your advice.
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November 2018: this writer looks forward to the END OF republican TRIBALISM.
I predict that Donald Trump will soon be a president without a friend, if he isn't already, and that Democracy will prevail, and the nightmare of this caveman's long illicit tribunal will be over.
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You're suggesting that we can anticipate a near future of unpresidented happiness? There's an idea one can drink to.
You forgot the one where he met the wife of the French President and commented that she was "in such good shape." Because it had that international je ne sais quoi, it was particularly embarrassing.
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Of course he did it. That’s not even the issue anymore. The issue is, who cares that he did it? Not his followers, for sure. But the rest of us? We care, don’t we? And if so, then what are we prepared to do about it?
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I'm down with your CliffsNotes investigative method, at least when it comes to Donald Trump.
The trouble is that when it's applied in other situations, it doesn't turn out so well. Kirsten Gillibrand gave a mayfly's breath worth of thought to Al Franken and determined he should be ridden out of town on a rail. It's easy to justify snap judgment when it suits one's purpose, I.e. ridding oneself of a truly foul accident of history on the one hand, or eliminating a prospective challenger for the 2020 Democratic primaries on the other.
Of course now that Gillibrand has (belatedly) called for Trump's resignation and he has responded in his typical demeaning way -as she surely hoped he would - her Franken Fiasco is but a wind-egg.
Our gnat's attention span, too, is part of the collective national farce.
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You're wrong about one thing--I will not forget how Sen. Gillibrand punched her ticket.
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Great column, excellent points. You are quite right to zero in on the issue of how-and by whom-the "debate" is framed and mainstream narratives are slanted. Unfortunately, I've concluded that the editors, pundits, and reporters of most important media have discovered that an "endless spinning," he-said-she-said style of journalism, and hyperpartisan opinion is in their commercial interest in a dog-eat-dog, competitive environment. It may not be in the public interest or build civic capital, but it sells. Exhibit A: the Moore affair was arguably obscene, but was almost certainly boffo for ratings.
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100 % on target though I have to further investigate this conclusion.
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I enjoyed this witty op-ed. Obviously Trump IS a "sexual harasser."
Has he committed a crime though? And should he resign even though he got elected despite having a long history of sexual harassment claims against him?
While I do agree that when there are accusations that women should be believed "as a starting point", American culture is in this rush-to-judgment mentality and a lot of innocent people’s lives can be destroyed just because they aren’t liked for whatever reason outside of sexual misbehavior.
In this hysteria, I’d like to see something called evidence and due process.
Otherwise, the only lasting change #metoo will have on society is to normalize vigilantism and trial by media. What happened to due process, to crimes and criminals being indicted on hard evidence, to people deserving a fair and proper trial before being found guilty of anything?
And I fear that far from liberating victims and women, it merely legitimizes illegitimate tactics of getting justice in society for others of less savory character to abuse when their chance arrives.
It isn't going to suddenly shift the power differential between abuser and victim.
A hashtag social media movement is, almost by definition, the opposite of a lasting influence. People will eventually move on to the next #.
I believe Americans should focus on changing their ridiculous celebrity and money-worshipping culture (rich and/or famous=good) that underlies a lot of America's problems, including sexual harassment.
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Well I believe that that is the issue. Trump does a lot of things that are morally questionable but not necessarily illegal. We know what he claimed to do and he probably did what he said he did. Even as an anti-Trump person, I acknowledge that it's possible that he was bragging to impress the other men in the room. There is no video evidence of what he said he did or pictures. There are a few women but it's what they're saying vs. what he's saying. Legal proof has to be stronger than that. We're dealing with reasonable doubt after all. At the same time I also realize that it's probably a bad idea to leave him alone with an attractive woman for any length of time.
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Agreed. Trump has an impressively long rap sheet--including allegation of raping a minor and colluding with the Russians (some 40 people in his circle so far have had multiple contacts, etc.) and more revelations will undoubtedly be forthcoming.
http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-rape-sexual-assault-minor-wife-busi...
While legal proof may be required, wny would 16 women from various walks of life confront a billionaire who's also threatened them and has the power to legally keep them tied up in court (as he's played out the clock with other cases) and ruin them financially and otherwise?
http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-rape-sexual-assault-minor-wife-busi...
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So the question is, Why did 60 million ordinary men and women from all over the country willingly ignore Trump's publicly documented appealing sexually predatory behavior and go ahead and vote for him?
Forget the stuff about how people couldn't stand Hillary Clinton. That explains nothing; after all, they could have stayed home. No, what must contend with is that 60 million Americans decided one of two things: Trump's behavior is actually perfectly fine, or it's perfectly fine for voters to overlook it.
Which is to say, 60 million of us do not believe character counts in a president. Poke this a little, and we see that 60 million Americans probably don't believe there is such a thing as character, and instead, collectively, think that all that counts is the "outer" self, or "personality" of a person.
Trump is appalling, but as Carl Andre said of Andy Warhol, "In the end, he's a mirror of who we are."
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I'm not sure I believe the numbers because of vote manipulation. That said, I've been in households where Fox News blathers in the background all day and I can say it's truly evil what its pundits do and say.
6
The problem is that we knew full well just how horrible Clinton was with all of her baggage and Her and her Clintonistas cheating against Bernie in the Primaries was the final straw for a great number of people, enough to make the difference so that she would Never become President. It was never a vote For Trump, it was always a non-vote for the Chillary.
That said, had we known exactly how bad Trump would be there would have been a Much Greater write in movement, from Both sides of the aisle, in my opinion.
It'd be helpful if liberals, of which I am one, finally got around to addressing Joe Biden's egregious conduct. He's gotten a free pass for far too long, is being talked about as a nominee in 2020, and is on tape over a dozen times groping women in ways they clearly do not want him to. A lot of them are minors, and some are pre-adolescent. For how long will the left undercut its own moral authority on the issue of sexual harassment by continuing to turn a blind eye to Uncle Joe's transgressions?
2
Seriously, thanks. I have never noticed that behavior in Joe Biden.
But I have never forgotten his calling Anita Hill a liar at the Clarence Thomas hearings.
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Great piece, and love digesting these ideas along with the humor and sense of the absurd presented here!
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I'm a baby boomer. I really don't want to think what my dad would have done if I told him I grabbed women by their genitals. I doubt I would have survived many job interviews either. Could you imagine your father or a potential employer pretending they didn't hear it and moving on?
It's ridiculous to need any more evidence than that. I'm grateful to the editor's of USA Today and the author of this article for highlighting the absurdity that Donald Trump is our president. I work for the 14th largest school system in the country. Do you think an educator would still have a job if they walked into the shower room of the opposite sex and made themselves at home?
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God, you're brilliant!
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Yet Republicans WOMEN just don't care about this.
11
Are you sure? There were hundreds of thousands of Republican women and their daughters who showed up and participated in the Women's March.
2
Insightful and I believe fully true, largely in his own words. Donald, may we call you Richard? It it obvious why we should!!
JW
6
Ironically, I don't know if we could have the #MeToo moment if Bill Clinton was back in the White House.
3
Can you come to Australia, Lindy? We're having a bit of steam obscuring the morning mirror here, and we can no longer see ourselves clearly. We used to look away, out the window to the US, but that glass has broken and now only the winds blows over the shards that still hold in weathered frame. Come for a visit, Lindy -- the NY Times now has an Aussie bureau up in Sydney, and I'm sure they're good for a beer and a bit of chin wag. Come see us, Lindy, come wipe the mirror clean here too and let the sun shine in.
8
Girl, you are genius...
In a country where you are required to have a license and background check for almost any job, how can this individual get the most important job with this resume? Shame on us that he has not been brought to justice yet.
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Agreed. And me thinks when the Mueller investigation has been completed it will prove that the Russians have done a better job of vetting Trump than the Republicans.
2
"Res ipsa loquitur". It's Latin and it means "the thing speaks for itself". The sun always rises from the east and sets in the west. Water flows from high to low grounds. Gravity pulls. Fire burns. etc. The thing speaks for itself. No proof is required.
Trump is not a man of honor, he loves vain glory, he lies, and has no moral convictions. He speaks for himself. No further evidence is required.
And if evidence is required, that's fine too. Just let his dozen or more women accusers testify and be given a chance to be heard in a court of law by a jury of their own peers. Let truth prevail. Let justice be done. Let the sun shine on America again.
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Great article!!!
11
Brava!
13
It was okay for Bill Clinton, though--right?
1
Please stop the false equivalence. Consensual sex between two adults may be infidelity, but it’s NOT harassment.
11
No. It wasn’t. And life and history and culture have evolved. We’re talking about Trump.
5
No. It wasn't. That's why he was impeached. (And yes, more probably should have happened to him, but it's not like no one cared! He did lost a tremendous amount of support even just after the allegations were made and ESPECIALLY after he was caught lying under oath...)
8
Yes, case closed! Last night it was #MeToo with Doug Jones and the voters of Alabama saying to all, especially our Predator-in-Chief, that politicians are no longer exempt from suffering the consequences of their sexual misconduct and promoting those that do. The spotlight has now shifted to Washington and to Donald Trump and his Congressional Republican enablers. It's now time for #MeToo to say to them #&U2. The phony Moore-ality is over! The jury has voted! The tweets were unanimous; predators guilty as "credibly accused." The reckoning is upon them.
15
I understand DT has a dozen or more accusers who say "He did it". And I do not doubt what they are saying. DT himself has in many instances "alluded" to treating women as an object. His tweet about Kirsten Gillibrand, as to when she needed funding for the election - is how he envisions women in general. What's the surprise here? Liberals got move to see how they can resonate with all voters and win the next elections (2018/2020).
However, i see these articles now in NYT very similar to how FOX News treated President Obama ad nauseam. I do read NYT and Wash. Post and watch CNN or PBS Newshour for "News" and serious opinions and not these "Opinionators" who are pronouncing guilt before a judicial review. Unfortunately, Fox News has pushed all the other media into this junk, sorry state state and style of journalism.
3
Don't forget these:
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/300928-trump-told-14-ye...
1
Tee-hee the smug “over it” attitude totally compensates for a lack of any form of coherence or logic.
I. Love. This.
5
I love Lindy West! Beautifully said! Stop normalizing this "president". The jury is in, it was in a long time ago. He's a criminal and a predator. He should be in an oval jail cell, not an oval office.
14
Yes! Because, the truth.
6
Why all this now about Trump? These allegations about him have gone on for many years. In addition 53% of white women voted for Donald Trump.
Who didn’t hear his giggling with Billy Bush? And then he tried to say it wasn’t his voice.
Going after Trump and this issue should have been processed months ago. Why wasn’t this pursued? The Republicans just go along with Trump so they can use him to sign their tax bill? Is gross Trump going to be hanging around so he can eventually sign the Republican Affordable Care Act replacement they are chomping at the bit for?
Women have been mishandled by Trump, alright. But you know what? We have all suffered and will suffer more because it took this long. Tell us, what has the point been allowing this classless tweeting harasser and probable sexual abuser to keep the presidency? I mean, this is insulting to any sense of morality in 2017. Congress, why did you wait so long?
11
And the message for Sarah Huckabee Sanders is: Trump is the one with his mind in the gutter.
24
"You're in such good shape. She's in such good physical shape. Beautiful," Trump told the French President's wife.....
12
I was wondering if it matters if Donald resigns because of treason, espionage, obstruction of justice, money laundering, tax evasion, self-dealing, profiting form public office and violating his oath of office, or if he resigns because of his serial sexual predation.
Presumably, if he leaves office for the criminal activity, he will be a unique object lesson to voters to know your candidate. But if he quits as a sex badger, he'll just be one of many.
As long as he doesn't leave office because his term is up. That, we can't handle.
7
Yes, but... there’s still pence. And though he may not be a sexual predator (although who knows), his record as governor of Indiana and in congress shows him to be anti education, public health and especially women’s health. He could be as destructive as agent orange, or worse.
It may be that Mueller will catch him in the Russia probe since he was a leader of the campaign. We need both of them out of government.
He's made himself a despised figure and cringe-worthy. In front of boy scouts he talked about hot parties he attended. He asked third graders if the press was good to them. He quite actively supported an alleged child molester for a senate position.
And clearly, the women are accusing him of doing exactly what he bragged doing in that Access Hollywood van. While on camera he called an Irish female reporter over to the oval office desk to discuss her looks. There was something odd about how he patted his own daughter at the Republican convention. No doubt he is the worst role model and absolute worst president of the modern era. Willfully dysfunctional. Just wasting time watching TV, tweeting, making false statements and unverified claims.
12
All trump voters are complicit in this.
He stated he could shoot someone on 5th Ave and people would still vote for him.
He publicly dared voters and some fell for it. That's his base.
The rest of the voting public know better. Now we all have work together to rid ourselves of this infection known as DJT.
Massive voter turnout is a good first step. Alabama was just the beginning!
17
He did it. No one cares. Lower my taxes. Build the wall.
1
Yes, he did all those things and probably more.
Yes, most of us do care. That’s why we’re trying to hold him to the same standard that applies to others.
Like me, you live in a blue state. The tax bill is specifically written to affect us negatively. It will not lower your taxes unless you are a one percenter.
Building the wall will do nothing but waste money and other resources. In my life I have lived in south Texas and three miles from the Canadian border. If people want to come to this country, they will find a way.
You are, of course, entitled to your opinions, as am I. The constitution allows this and my 24 years of military service, added to the service of millions of others through the decades, guarantees your right to have an opinion. Personally, I want to hear opposing viewpoints. They make life interesting.
Trump is not my president and never will be. Hopefully, he will be back in his tower soon. Unfortunately, we will then have Pence.
13
Well, about 80% of the country cares. Why do you hate America so much? Trump has no mandate.
All that you allege of Trump and his cronies is true. That is why they have invented "fake news." Real news dos not suit them and ther thievery and malicious behavior well.
11
Follow Senator Gillibrand:
ALL the Congresswoman, and All the Congressmen, openly declare an investigation into Trumps past sexual harassment, assaults on Twitter and resignation.
Trump will hit back ten times as hard and leave an enormous trove of revenge tweets to be used as evidence in the proposed much needed investigation and calls for resignation!
This snow ball tweet storm would be irresistible!
12
Please, Please, Please Times writers stop referring a president's administration or term of office using the word "rule." This applies to both the verb and noun varieties of the word. Ideally, presidents govern, though, clearly, that is not the case just now.
8
I don't get the praise in this article. Intuition is not knowledge. A politician lives and dies on his trust with the people; if you don't trust the Donald, and think his past indiscretions with women warrant his removal, vote him out. Otherwise you really must sit there and do nothing. Keep automatically assuming that "everyone knows" he's a troglodyte, a bully, a sociopath, and then assume he will be voted out of office in four years. See where that will get you. Instead, consider how NKorea, ISIS and Putin feels about a few women claiming he grabbed or kissed them. They don't care. And if his acts were so egregious and outrageous, how come nobody came forward, nobody filed a police report, or said anything at all, until shortly before the general election? In the meantime, keep supporting the Muslim minorities, who surely have a much more liberal view of women than the Donald.
1
It's also time to permanently ban Trump from the Mall, the Washington Mall.
20
I love this column! Quit letting Republicans control the narrative. Yes! Brilliant!
21
Love the first paragraph. Investigation over. Technical details to follow, which most us with half a brain don’t need.
10
If I see you're the author, I read the piece. Such good work.
14
Ms. West, the legal principle that a person is "innocent until proven guilty" supports the endless investigations you describe. It's actually quite illogical: obviously an offender is guilty from the moment the offense is committed. What the principle means is that a person cannot be convicted in a court of law without proof of guilt, and that's what it should say.
So your summary judgment in the court of public opinion is quite reasonable. We know Trump is guilty of sexual harrassment, just like we know he's guilty of obstruction of justice, collusion with the Russians to influence the elections, and multiple ethics violations. We should not only refuse to indulge in disingenuous debate, but also frankly call Trump out for the shameless criminal that he is.
Now if only we could sentence him to banishment from office, and prison time...
68
Ouch! I like the way this author slaps down the entire GOP agenda in subordinate clauses. Brilliant.
16
Thank you once again, Ms. West, for calling it like it is. You are a refreshing voice in the media who refuses to kowtow to political correctness (in this situation, when it's not called for) rather than, ahem, pussyfoot around. Now, if we can get the MALES in the media to call sexual harassment by the "president," then we'll really be getting somewhere.
13
And yet -- Even Donald J. Trump is entitled to a fair hearing.
Lindy West's humor in the opening paragraph is not sufficient to convict anyone.
Fortunately she agrees that "rigorous, standardized" investigations (and, one assumes, ensuing procedures) are necessary.
The eagerness to convict, to find even the slightest possible instance of sexual misconduct by anyone worth destroying someone's life over, will result in false allegations, rigged procedures, abusive consequences.
A lynch mob mentality of "public opinion" is not what this nation is supposed to embrace.
And if we are to "demand consequences" the consequences should as fairly as possible "fit the crime." Not everyone deserves to be fired, to have his/her life ruined, because of a hyped up cry for retaliation.
Doug Giebel, Big Sandy, Montana
This is the best thing I've read all year.
11
Stick around. She might write something else ;-)
2
And yet women voted for Trump. That says s lot about what some women(quite a lot actually ) think is important in a man running for Office.
And the same just happened in Alabama. Women were willing to vote for another despicable character. Luckily this time it did not work
8
Without women Moore would have won.
Thank you for pointing out the obvious. The other thing that's obvious is that even today, if you've got enough wealth and power, you can get away with abusing other people and America's famous judicial system will do nothing about it.
Can you imagine how fast a poor homeless man would end up in prison if 15 women accused him of sexual harassment?
13
Sexual harassment doesn't even tell the whole story of Trump's relationship with women.
About 20 years ago, when Trump was appearing on the cover of various magazines applauding him for being such a wonderful "family guy," he propositioned a woman, whom I'll call "Annette," who was working for me as a personal assistant. She was in NYC, staying at the Plaza Hotel, where her uncle, one of the doormen, had gotten her a discounted room. Annette is a very attractive woman with blond hair. Trump, who at that time was the owner of the hotel, pulled up in his limo, walked up the steps, and said hello to Annette's uncle, whom I'll call "Ned." Annette was standing next to Ned, waiting for her ride to a social event. Trump looked her up and down, said nothing, and walked into the hotel.
Ten minutes later he came out and went over to Ned. He looked Annette up and down again, and then said: "Ned, who's this?" Ned said, "This is my niece." Trump then said to Ned: "Tell her to meet me on the 58th floor of Trump Tower at 2:00 pm." He never said a word to Annette. Then he turned, walked down the steps, got back into his limousine, and drove off. Annette told me this story immediately after coming back from her NYC trip. I will never forget it.
This incident isn't sexual harassment as that term is commonly understood. But it perfectly encapsulates Trump's disgusting attitude toward women: he views them as objects to be used for his pleasure. And he expects them to oblige.
23
Trump's rationale is that nothing is a crime if Trump commits the act as we have a depraved president with no moral compass, no feelings or empathy for others, no ethics, no principles and who is all about self-gratification and self-promotion all of the time.
Trump's lack of knowledge about history is explainable as there was no world or people of importance until Trump was born and populated it. He could write the book on 'Narcissism or how I learned to love myself above all others'. No hired ghost writer could do the tale justice as you would have to be living within his skin to get it right. It is all Trump all the time with no commercial breaks. He is his own god and worships at the temple of Trump 24/7 with only a few short hours of shut eye. He doesn't want to miss anything.
Trump demeans women by his salaciousness that goes back decades as you so correctly reported here. However, he feels they should fall at his feet and be grateful for his attention. He adds new layers to the term self-delusional.
16
We, the People, have All the Need Information....but simply Ignore it!
"President" Trump is Diagnosable....We are in Need of Treatment.
8
If ever a man was morally unfit for the office of the presidency, it is Donald J. Trump.
If ever a man was the living embodiment of Grover Norquist's idea of a perfect president, it is Donald J. Trump.
If ever a man showed us clearly just how vile the Republican Party has become, it is Donald J. Trump.
24
Bravo!
Bravo!
Thank you Ms. West for continuing to hit the nail smack on the head:
"Reject the pressure to participate in the blurring of obvious truths."
47
Great column. I believe the next arena for truth-telling has to be with the political media. Journalists, reporters, editors, and columnists should never allow Republican (and occasional Democratic) politicians, p.r. flacks, etc to lie to their faces without immediately correcting them or pushing back. Our political culture has been debased by lying for far too long. Fox News propaganda now mimics Russian state outlets.
Right-wing House members (looking at YOU, JIM JORDAN) are now launching a disgusting, fact-free attack on the FBI, Justice Department, and the Mueller investigation fueled by nothing but lies, innuendo, and conspiracy theories. Their constant lying must be countered, ridiculed, and shamed by Democrats in Congress. Political journalists must stop enabling these systematic smear campaigns and stand up for the TRUTH. Journalism is supposed to be a constant search for truth, not just listening mute to outrageous Republican lies, then listening to (mostly) truthful Democrat's responses, then writing sophomoric "they said, then the other ones said" stories that imply equivalent truth-telling.
Fox News propaganda has been brainwashing a segment of our population for 20 years now. That is enough.
39
Well said and so true when you think about DJT and his antics. I too have been more conscious of the media around me and find much that is degrading to women. Not only should we hold men accountable for their words and actions but we should reconsider how we market products and services. Don't need a half naked women to sell me a car....
20
I consider this harassment: "Nevertheless, she persisted." This condescension , from Mitch McConnell, is ingrained in culture worldwide.
20
"The term “sexual harassment,” used here in a social sense, not a legal one"
Yawn. What matters is how evidence holds up under due process. You know, that thing that a criminal trial follows because our foundation of justice is based on a presumption of innocence? Trial-by-gossip-blogspam is no way to conduct a society.
5
The “presumption of innocence” is a legal assumption founded in the criminal law- the state can’t imprison you unless you’re found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and a criminal defendant is presumed innocent until that standard is overcome.
Public opinion is another thing, as is the civil burden (where a preponderance [think 50.0001%] of evidence is enough for a civil sanction to stick); folks are entitled to call a pervert a pervert, and a doofus a doofus (and the truth, by a 50.0001% preponderance of evidence, is a perfect defense of the pervert or doofus sues for libel or defamation).
Donald Trump is a doofus. Roy Moore is a pervert. And calling for reservation of opinion because of a presumption of innocence is another way of saying you choose to not believe the obvious outcome from the preponderance of obvious evidence.
2
Sexual harassment is a civil offense, not criminal. Different ball game.
3
For a moral government, sexual harassment, racial bias, et al are first and foremost issues of our values and whether or not a person's values match to the role they serve, elected or not, the legal element is a matter of assigning and managing consequences . . .
Sorry, Lindy, but there's zero balance here. One of the most frustrating observations I made this last election was the extent to which people are oblivious to their own biases, and how political bias works to make the opposition's bad behavior next to the devil, and the preferred candidate's bad behavior a non-issue.
If Lindy West really wanted to speak seriously about sexual harassment, she'd have left her own biases at the door. Instead, we're to believe that it's a particularly right-wing trait to harass women. Donald Trump is no saint, and as the author notes, we ALL know this. But then neither are Hillary Clinton and her husband, the former playing the opposite game Ms. West would have us all play, that of the enabler to the latter, her sexual predator husband. We ALL know this as well, but nary a mention from the indignant author.
So why would I take Ms. West seriously? How is she any different than Ms. Gillibrand, a seasoned politician who we're to believe held her nose while mingling with anyone who'd donate to her campaign, including the "guilty" Clintons, the "guilty" Mr. Weinstein, not to mention the "guilty" Donald Trump.
So sure, we ALL know and we ALL knew. That makes us ALL complicit.
6
Nowhere in this column does Ms. West suggest that sexual harassment is an activity peculiar to right-wingers.
What she does suggest is that refusal to acknowledge evidence of sexual harassment is a trait peculiar to right-wingers. Which seems accurate.
7
smacc1: still on about the Clintons? You do know, right, that they currently hold no political office? That they are a part of history, and that's all? Is Ms. West supposed to list every politician who has every committed sexual assault/misdemeanors/harassment, etc.? It'd be a pretty long list,wouldn't it, and would take up more than the space she is given for her column.
You need to ask yourself, now that the Clintons are completely out of the picture, and have been now for more than a year, why you still keep harping on them.
Meanwhile, Ms. West is focusing on the monsters currently in office--especially the monstrosity-in-chief. The president of the US has been accused by numerous women, and has admitted, of committing sexual assault. That doesn't bother you? The president of the US, we're talking about here. And you are still hung up on politicians who have long since disappeared into retirement?
13
Earth to smacc1: Bill Clinton was NOT running in 2016. I am SO tired of every right-wing person bringing up Bill Clinton when their "boys" are accused of bad behavior.
3
Trump is in office because he will override ethics and the will of the American people to further the agenda of those who got him elected. If they had backed an ethical man, their agenda would never fly. Tax cuts may be part of his personal agenda, but I doubt that being anti-choice is anything but pandering to his manipulators. I can't imagine that he never got a woman pregnant and encouraged her to get an abortion. An illegitimate child would be a financial threat to him. Let's face it; an easily manipulated unethical man was intentionally elected to be a puppet for a base with unethical goals. Praise is cheap and that's all that's required to get the POTUS to do their bidding.
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Your last paragraph should have been the first paragraph. It’s a great point but it took too long to get there for most readers.
"... I am so tired of participating in the collective national farce that things happening right in front of our eyes might not really be happening. ..."
Indeed. Yesterday in front of an audience of tens of millions the president said that Senator Gillibrand would prostitute herself for campaign donations.
Yes. The standard of proof in the court of public opinion--or in the arena of political elections--should be either (a) the "more likely than not" standard, or (b) the "avoid the appearance of impropriety" standard.
Thank you, Ms. West.
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Actually, he didn't. In the context of politics "do anything" means vote as the contributor or constituent wishes. Most politicians do a lot of that. That's how they get elected, and re-elected.
Sometimes that is called prostitution, but only figuratively. There is nothing sexual about it: prostituting principles, not bodies.
2
Robert, I did not vote for Trump. I do not like Trump. But he said *no such thing*.
I am a more Dem than not, Independent, in NY State.
It is my observation over the years that, yes, Gillibrand will do anything to get a vote. She is one of those play-doh politicians. She bends with the wind and goes with the wind.
I do not like Donald J. Trump as my president. But he has his principles. Gillibrand has none.
1
Donald Trump is shown here making his trademark OK sign.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think he uses the OK sign to suggest that what he says and does it OK, and what his opponents say and do is not OK. Why not use this against him, to suggest that his treatment of women is not OK?
I suggest that we use symbols like Trump's OK sign, again and again, to pin him down for what he really is.
I hope that we can push back on Trump with symbols, like OK.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK, OK, OK?
4
It only takes a moment to destroy one's own reputation but it can take a lifetime to restore it.
In the case of Mr. Trump, he has continually used his moments to destroy his reputation and so it will take many lifetimes for it to be restored once he recants all his past moments.
I am not holding my breath in anticipation of that turn-around.
Excellent message eloquently expressed. Why so few comments? Because Ms. West isn't a celebrity? It's out culture of celebrity worship that gave us Trump.
6
Comments can take a very long time to be moderated here, and even longer when there are a lot of comments. Give a good 12 hours before you judge. The NYT comments section is awful on many counts; this ranks very high among them.
3
Lindy West, you are my hero. Your voice on these pages is long overdue. Keep up the wonderful writing and scathing critique.
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You are a treasure! Simple, perceptive, brilliant.
11
I love this piece, because it undermines one of Trump's most effective methods in his sophisticated con act, which is to behave in an outrageous and defiantly uncivil manner in order to get people to sign up at hello based on the fact that being politically incorrect is necessarily the "truth".
Then, if confronted or challenged he can use any number of comebacks from deflection to denial to revisionism to dare you to challenge anything he says or does, because according to him, he is the authority on himself, the only reliable source, even if he contradicts that self a few minutes later.
It's deliberate chaos making as the ultimate distraction that only works with people who decided at hello to believe in him no matter what happens subsequently that might cause anyone who hadn't succumbed and who possesses the power of observation to begin to question his veracity.
Hence, it's useful to remind those outside of the gullible people who signed up based on a reality show persona of a very, very, very successful and outrageous businessman that is actually contradicted by his track record, to believe what they see, not what he tells you you are seeing. Trump might be the least reliable witness in any room except one occupied by Alex Jones, who admitted in a custody battle he makes everything up. So does Trump, including the claim he is the only person telling it like it is. All you have to do is pay attention.
16
Finally a piece of writing that distills the ideas swirling in my head about how language has been weaponized to the point of hysteria --pretending to inform, but really just desecrating our public discourse. Thank you Lindy! Your wit and passion inspire me.
9
I would like to point out that when Trump barged into the dressing rooms of the contestants in the Miss Teen USA contest so he could, he admitted on Howard Stern's radio show, see them half-dressed or naked, some of the girls were as young as fifteen. Fifteen, folks. Does that remind you of anybody? Maybe somebody named Roy Moore?
20
I have been reading online editorials and op-eds about sexual harassment for a couple of weeks now on the NYTimes website. While reading I must scroll past a jewelry ad that has Julianne Moore naked from the waist up, apparently, holding her arms bedecked only with bracelets in front on her bare breasts.
Now that we are talking so much about harassment and women's voices are finally being heard, may I say that I find that ad inappropriate. Do we really need to advertise junk by using women's nearly naked bodies?
46
Trump currently has about 20 accusers, what multiple of that amount is it going to take to make a difference? They're out there.
140
And those are just the women who have had the courage to speak up. I can't imagine that in his, say, sixty years since he hit puberty, the women whom he has demeaned, groped, and otherwise taken unwanted liberties with, would only number twenty.
15
My heart skipped a beat when I read the title, then another beat reading the first two lines. Thank you, Lindy, for continuing to not be afraid of defining things exactly as they are.
193
at this exact moment you are my favorite person in the whole world.
142
Was thinking the exact same thing ...
3
Ditto. I think I just fell in love with Lindy West.
1
OK. Now let's impeach the Donald.
87
Girl, you can write!
49
Not really. Just sophistry covering a lack of facts. Don't be fooled.
1
Interestingly, almost all of her fake evidence comes directly from the mouth (or keyboard) of the man himself.
Rules regarding sex have changed, and men are not the only ones making them anymore.
36
This is about power. Sex is used as a weapon. Would you argue that rape as a weapon of warfare is about sex? How exactly would you explain, or rationalize, that? What's the difference? This is a war on women, from the White House to the strongholds of ISIS or Boko Haram or Bosnia. You need to update your education about misogyny and sexism.
4
Kudos to you Lindy - beautiful writing and I love your perspective. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar (and a predator just a predator) and you don't have to think about it further than that. Available to run for President or the Senate by chance? You've already earned my donation.
44
Thanks, Ms. West. Great analysis. Please, please, please call for another National Women's March on Washington. It should include all people of conscience--old and young, male and female--to surround the White House and shout "Down with Predators" until our criminal POTUS resigns.
63
It’s already happening. Google women’s march 2018. Trump must resign. Organize!
I don't care about the personal behavior of politicians. I care about their political behavior. So I would like to keep Al Frank and impeach Trump.
42
You don't seem to get it, Kevin. This isn't personal behavior. It's criminal, and it's deeply political. When you, as a powerful man, abuse your power over someone with less power, and use sex as a weapon, that's about as political as it gets. When men abuse women, that's political. The personal IS political. These men use their power to intimidate people, and ultimately that abusive attitude colors their political behavior. What could be more political than that? It's what's wrong with our political system now. Abuse of power. And it starts young.
7
At some point, though, mustn't there be some overlap? It's one thing to not care if someone is a cheater or a gambler or an alcoholic; it's another thing to not care if they're a murderer or a rapist or a thief. I don't care if someone advocates point for point for all my most cherished beliefs--if they're a rapist or a murderer, or even a chronic sexual harasser, I don't want him/her in office.
5
The personal is political. This is pretty well-established.
1
Oh my, this is so well thought out and clearly stated that I challenge anyone to try to "misunderstand" what has been stated.
26
RE: "Yes, President Donald Trump has sexually harassed women."
I am reminded of a line...."we hold these truths to be self-evident...."
But Trump gets away with it because he observed "when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything," and it seems his presence in the White House supports that belief.
This belief doesn't apply only to those he harasses but to those who support him, he can do anything and they will love him for it. He doesn't have to defend himself - they will.
44
Lindy, again, I'm so glad to see your talented writing here in the NY Times.
With that, there is a lot to unpack here- and much more to be said. I would love to see a follow up by you just focusing on the slippery 'commincation stylings' of the Repunlican party. We need more call outs of the verbal gaslighting used by many politicians and the the "surrogates" supporting them to demand better accountability. I don't know how else to get beyond our current post-truth reality.
41
The problem seems to be one of allocation of resources.
With all of the allegations of sexual harassment, of unethical and questionable business practices, collusion with Russia, and so many lies about so many different things, it's really a question of whether there are enough investigators to investigate all of his misdeeds.
34
No. It's a question for Republicans: do they care what he does, so long as they wield power? Absolutely not. He's a sociopath with dementia. They, however, insist that what they're doing is "reform."
4
Right again, Ms. West. Brava!
18
This is, hands down, the best thing I've read in a long while.
THANK YOU. Lindy West calls it out just the way it is. Anything else is a waste of time.
45
incredible piece of writing--you need a regular column
143
First, your screen name is my nickname for my mother in law, so, cool! Secondly, I believe she's a regular NYT columnist now!
3
Bravo, Lindy! Let's not be fooled by obfuscating the obvious: Trump is a disgrace. Let the public pressure build to force him to resign. The sooner the better!
38
You said it when you said it.
12
It's not sexual assault if the President is the perpetrator.. He's above the law apparently..
7
It evidently depends on whether the president is of God's Party or The Party of Satan. There is no third option of presidents representing no angels at all.
2
A mayfly's breath. Nice image.
19
I love your writing. You remind me of Molly Ivins, who was one of the all time greatest political writers in my book. She got me through the Bush years, and how I look for your column for the same insight, wit and humor.
219
One of my favorite early shots of Trump was at some sort of press conference when he discussed possibly one day running for president.
He called out from the stage to his then girl friend: "Where's my super model? Where's my super model?" to ask if she would like to be first lady.
No name, just super model. That's how he sees women.
359
Yes, and of course whoever she was, she would have been (actually, obviously HAS been) long since rejected, since he's done with them once they're past 35.
3
Trump wears arm candy to prove he's macho.
3
He told the boy scouts that they should get rich so the can buy yachts and get women. If that does not tell you everything you need to know about Trump's view of women's worth and what they are good for, I'm not sure anything will.
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Also tells you what he thinks women think of men.
False equivalency is how drumpf became the president in the first place. Republicans don't care about the country as much as they care about staying in power. The only way one maintains power and control is through oppression. Oppressed groups can't shatter the power structure. This has to stop. Drumpf must be forced to resign just like Senator Franken was forced to resign.
94
In real democracies, candidates and parties seeking public offices are expected to win elections by persuasion, and govern by persuasion.
8
Yes, yes, and yes. It's exhausting to have to keep up with the various aspects of the outrage DJT creates, but it must be done. Sexual assault is actually against the law, so it's right up there with obstruction of justice with respect to impeachable offenses.
While we're on this subject, can we talk about Sarah Huckabee Sanders? Yesterday, in response to Trump's sexist tweet attacking Gillibrand, she implied that the 2016 election was some kind of referendum on whether or not Donald Trump sexually assaulted women. As if! As a taxpayer I would like to suggest that SHS be asked to take an oath to tell the truth before she stands up to address the press corps.
404
I have no idea how SHS can stand up there and defend "him" the way she does. It's quite disturbing, each and every day.
26
An "assault" is physical aggression. Most "sexual harassment" is verbal belittlement and posturing falling short of assault.
1
Just think, Ms. Huckabee-Sanders is a Christian with a father who is a minister. Imagine what other outrageous things she would say if she didn’t learn sbout the 10 Commandments from her dad, Mike Huckabee
20
To commit a crime or a tort, while what you thought before or at the time of your conduct is a matter of mens rea or intent, to be found culpable in a criminal or civil court the jury must be persuaded that your actions not merely your thoughts were culpable.
It's true that speech can be an act. Hence, for example, what we say or write may be slanderous or libellous. And this so-called President certainly has form for defaming persons. Further, what we say or write may be incitement to others to commit a culpable act. Or part of a conspiracy.
Trump is an appalling person. I hope that Trump is brought low. But Trump needs to be brought down properly – by a jury of his peers, in a properly constituted court of law.
15
I'm with you on wanting him brought down, but your summation of the law is incorrect.
And while there is a defamation case pending, criminal and civil trials aren't really an issue; nobody has a right to elected office.
8
Kim, you're obviously no lawyer because all that a political opponent would then need to do to stop any candidate for POTUS in their tracks would be to bring an action for defamation against him or her.
1
I actually think, ironies of ironies, that valid and believable multiple harassment charges might actually get this guy out of here. Maybe the Russia thing will snag Mr. Pence.
I think the test will be whether Republican house would indict. Within the current environment with accusers coming forward and abusers being fired, how can a Republican congressman with any vestige of shame left not see parallels between Trump and what befell Matt Lauer? Or Lake Woebegone.
He can lie every day but these life blood women were in pictures with him. Lock Him UP.
51
We do know, all of us, but that is not the issue. The issue is what people do with that knowledge. What I have seen so far frightens me.
18
Thank you, Lindy West, for this incisive and funny assessment. Your column is always a brilliant breath of fresh air.
18
I don't have any quibbles with your arguments, but I think that Alexandra Petri (the likely-soon-to-be-Pulitzer-Prize-winning-columnist at the WaPo) said it better in her column last evening.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2017/12/12/trump-respect...
Of should I say the President said it better, since she used his own words describing women in the column, with links to the original sources and tweets.
4
“And yes, Congress (like any other workplace) needs some sort of routine and fair internal protocol for addressing sexual misconduct allegations.”
Want to know what else Congress members need? They need to know that from now on they will be named and required to pay out of their own pockets the money used to settle proven sexual harassment suits rather than billing the American taxpayer for their misdeeds. That a man like Texas Republican Blake Farenthold would receive $84,000 dollars of taxpayer funds to pay for sexual misconduct simply defies belief. These abusers should be booted out office and bankrupted.
61
I love you. I love this.
21
Lindy, thank you! 2017 has been a dark depressing year, and your writing makes me laugh while it is also telling the truth. You're the best. Come hang out and get tacos sometime.
91
Like most cavemen, Trump's mindset is woman = sex.
But let's not get distracted by his beastly dance.
His administration is trying to politicize the Mueller investigation in an attempt to de-legitimize it, they are about to lower taxes on all US corporations and the 0.001%, they're destroying the environment, ghosting Federal agencies, creating a worldwide leadership vacuum that China and Russia are jumping into, suppressing votes, protecting child molesters, trying to deport dreamers, trying to privatize education, healthcare, and Social Security, and doing everything they can to return us to the 1950s, the golden age for cavemen.
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"Like most cavemen, Trump's mindset is woman = sex." - actually, I suspect you're wrong about that. I doubt he has much sex. It's about power, status, image, the symbolism of a beautiful woman on his arm, assuaging his bottomless insecurities, comparing himself favorably to other men, being the biggest and the richest and the best and having the most conventionally desirable babe is a symbol of all that. I seriously doubt he has a whole lot of interest in actual sex, let alone many opportunities these days. Think about it.
5
In the 1950s we had Eisenhower tax rates of over 90% on the top margins and far less income inequality, plus an environment where workers salaries were going up and they had strong union protections. Return to the 1950s? If only!
2
Yup, everyone keeps reporting the list of atrocities being committed by this Administration and Republican Congress, but, my questions remains open: Why are they doing this? What is their objective?
Thank you for this essay. Republican smoke screens have become the go to tool of the party. Real debate and discussion on issues and policy does not exist in their world, witness the McConnell Ryan tax bill. We all know trump is a pervert in more ways than just sexual but he got to a position of power by virtue of his enablers. I watched the travesty that Mrs Moore engaged in by her comment that one of her husband's attorneys was a Jew. These people are as much to blame as the perpetrators even as you have observed that the truth is slapping them in the face.
How many investigations of the Clinton emails did we have and still trump calls for more. How many votes to remove the ACA did we have by Republicans. Republicans have learned to operate behind their perpetual game of smoke and mirrors, fake news, alternative facts and blowhards like Hannity. We need to call them out, ignore their incessant investigations and be rid of them.
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You, first of all, need to convince your fellow Americans who still support a despicable guy like Donald Trump and the Republican Party. These are the voters who put these guys into office on the promise that they will make America Great Again.
Good Luck!
"I am so tired of participating in the collective national farce that things happening right in front of our eyes might not really be happening." This crime is the greatest of all because it allow perpetrators to lie about more than being sexual predators.
I do not mean to diminish #45's sexual indecencies, but truly, he is indecent in every way imaginable, BUT his followers are like the rats following the Pied Piper--utterly oblivious to his goals. Will we pay the difficult price as a country for electing this poor excuse of a human or will we watch our children be led to their demises as well?
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Legislators are simply using DJT as a distraction and he provides it without hesitation or remorse. What you see in Trump is the real thing. All of his mental disorders, panics, adolescent poorly developed reactions - all of it. No filters, no hidden strategy, no crazy like a fox. Just plain crazy. All of it just a tool for the real conservative rich get richer agenda.
After tax reform expect that a) the senate and the house will suddenly become very concerned about the growing menace posed by the deficit and b) Trump will be investigated, linked to Russia and impeached. The sexual harassment issue will simply be congress distracting Trump from their real objective of dumping him after he has served his purpose.
Is Trump guilty? Yes - of many, many things. But the American Citizenry is guilty of even more. Look in the mirror.
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He lost the popular vote and many of us did all we could to stop him. Put the blame where it belongs.
3
The REAL question is WHY IS TRUMP IN OFFICE?! If there was only one official position that we should take serious these accusations, it is with the POTUS. We are not under the rule of a King who can willy-nilly over-ride ethics violations with a decree. The POTUS SERVES THE PEOPLE at their will. I DEMAND he me investigated for these violations! I for one am sick and tired of being basically told by this horrible man that there is nothing I can do about it. He is as obvious as a 4th grader whom EVERYONE knows is a bully, but denies it openly. It is time for him to go.
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While I believe all the women and I believe all the allegations are provable, two stand out on an evidentiary basis.
First, a receptionist in Trump tower says he forcibly kissed her. That fits perfectly with the Access Hollywood tape where Trump say that he has a tic tac and just starts kissing.
Second, a former pageant contestant says Trump would come into the dressing room and get a lewd naked eye full. That fits with the Howard Stern interview were Trump admits to going back stage to "inspect" the contestants.
Those two cases are slam dunks. And the rest are very credible. Huckabee looks so tired of lying for Trump.
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Of course, this is always in the eye of the beholder, but I look at Huckabee-Sanders and think that she is just tired of being asked the same questions by the reporters. I just don't think that she's bright or educated enough to know that Presidents of the United States are not infallible kings who have been ordained by God. She grew up with a minster-father who, while funny as heck, is at heart an authoritarian. That kind of thinking has shaped her reality and she simply doesn't know any different or better. She's a True Believer, so she probably isn't even aware that the stuff coming out of her mouth are lies that she has been duped into passing along.
4
Re Huckabee: As someone once famously said: "You get the face you deserve." She's there.
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You're way nicer than I am in regard to Huckabee, she is a world class dissembler in my book and Gen.Kelly has destroyed his reputation permanently.
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No doubt about it. It's a duck.
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I’m clamoring for investigations and demanding consequences now. We heard today from Rod Rosenstein that the victims can file with the DOJ so let’s start there. Trump continues to demean, belittle, humiliate, and sexually harass all whom he perceives to be vulnerable, but this has to end to show that we are a country of laws and that justice will prevail. Kirsten Gillibrand can lead the charge against this sexist racist zealot. And Lindy you can continue the focus in print.
24
"Sometimes a sexual harasser is just a sexual harasser."
And a kiss (with tic tack) is not just a kiss.
17
Not to forget when he was on Howard Stern with Ivanka and they both laughed at him being described as a sexual predator.
Maybe funny then but not funny any more.
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Maybe it was nervous laughter?
3
Why is everyone so afraid of this bullying con-man? Is every Republican so enamored with power that decency takes a backseat? Why did nearly half of the voters of Alabama vote for an accused pedophile? Lastly, thanks to the good people of Alabama who were undeterred and made America proud.
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79% of Roy Moore voters said they didn't care about the allegations. And 6% said they would have voted for him even if the allegations were proven. 6%! In other words, a disturbing number of people don't care about abhorrent behavior as long as they get whatever niche issues they want (or can "trigger liberals")
3
Thank you. Wonderfully dripping with the cleverest irony! I've said it all boils down to a duck -- "if it walks like...quacks like...etc....it's a...!"
15
Right. To paraphrase Groucho Marx:
Who are you going to believe? Me, your president, Donald J. Trump, or your lying eyes?
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That was Chico, but I'm glad there are other Marxists around.
1
Thank you, Lindy West, for pointing out with your usual insight and humor that our emperor is clothed in nothing but shame.
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Which he wears very lightly.
3
Thanks Ms. West for a well-reasoned analysis, and of course, it's entirely right. But well before Trump descended his glorious golden escalator to announce he wanted to be emperor, I knew he abused women. He had two marriages fail because he was cheating on his trophy wives. One of them testified that he raped her and dragged her by her hair. He was on TV talking about his newborn Ivanka, and he said she had her mother's legs, and that he hoped she'd have big breasts when she was older.
The guy is a womanizing jerk, and I didn't need the recording of him crowing about his harassment to know it. I didn't need the accusations either, in such a flood as to prove their veracity.
And of course, he's also a constant liar, narcissistic, ignorant, bigoted, impulsive, bullying, and fascist. All of this is clear enough from his own actions and statements.
The unfortunate thing though, is that the 32% or so of the country that still supports him is incapable of seeing all that. They are so enamored of his lies that they will believe nothing else, not their own eyes and ears, not what everyone else says, nothing but Trump.
That's the only thing keeping him afloat, but I guess on the bright side, every time a Trump supporter finally wakes up to having been lied to by Trump all this time, he loses their support forever. So gradually he will probably lose so much backing that he takes down most of the GOP with him.
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Ms. West: Where did you come from? Why did I not know your work ages ago? How was the NYT so smart as to engage you? You keep giving us the unfake news as well as hope.
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The article where I fell in love with her in 2009: https://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-different-kinds-ofpeople-that-th...
A comprehensive listing of her writing for the Seattle Stranger:
https://www.thestranger.com/authors/21605/lindy-west
Also, the movie review in which she single-handedly put an end to the terrible "Sex And The City" movie franchise: https://www.thestranger.com/seattle/burkas-and-birkins/Content?oid=4132715
I'll stop there. I could go on and on.
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Amen.
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Thank you for taking the time to write this. Having to prove the stunningly obvious seems to be the task we are all faced with these days. False equivalency has given a platform to statements and beliefs that would have been deemed shameful to express a short time ago. We can only hope the tide is beginning to turn.
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Using those same parameters, I would like to announce the conclusions of my other investigations. Trump's campaign, obviously, colluded with the Russian government and Trump, again obviously, obstructed justice when he fired James Comey. Now, turning to sports and weather, some teams will lose while others will not and it's sunny out except when it's raining. This is easier than I thought.
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I do like and respect Lindy West and think she's a good writer, but this essay feels sloppy to me and I'm not exactly sure what the point is. We do already know that he objectifies women and treats them with disrespect, but he also treats men this way. He's a terrible leader and example for pretty much everyone. We have to actually listen to the women who have come forward one by one and fully investigate: we can't make a blanket condemnation and be assured that he "did it" to each of the women who stepped forward. I say this as someone from the very far left who is not claiming Trump is innocent but simply pointing out that I'm not sure how helpful it is to make this statement. By the same measure can we say that others who we respect can't have done it because they don't use Trump's kind of "locker room talk" language? I don't think trying people in the court of opinion helps.
9
The point of the piece is as a response for the calls to "investigate" the claims from 12 women re: Trump's "alleged" sexual harassment, when in fact an investigation isn't really needed because his harassment of all of us, but with special emphasis on women, is obvious and happens daily. There it is: in a tweet. There it is again: on a tape. There it is again: at a rally. There it is again: in one of his books. You know how every time a bell rings an angel gets it's wings? Every time Trump harasses someone a Koch brother makes 500,000 bucks. Ding! Ding! Ding!
38
There is enough material out there on Trump that American's, and the rest of the world, can see happening but we seem unable to act on it. What kind of a country lets this stuff slide? Where are the "checks and balances" that kept some of us hopeful for at least first weeks of this administration's war on America? What does it mean that protections against abuse of power turn out not to work at all?
I think the #MeToo movement is a chance to let go of the innocence of intent to do harm and look clearly at the harm done. And yes, I think the republicans have happily displayed their urge to abuse power and need to account for themselves as the responsible citizens they claim to be.
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On a day of a lot of good news. You just made my day. Thank you.
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Since Trump admitted and bragged about it, no other proof is needed.
What's surrealistic is the indifference of the Trump voters, many of whom are women.
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Thank you for a common sense article. I call on male reporters to call out the hypocrisy in Washington regarding sexual harassment and women’s issues. The GOP does not represent the majority of Americans nor the moral high ground. Speak truth to power.
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You know Franken and Weinstein, O’Reilly and Spacey
Lauer and Louis and Conyers and Cosby
But do you recall the most dangerous deviant of all?
Donald the chief molester
Had a tiny, grabby hand
And if you ever heard him
You would hear him say he’s grand
All of the other perverts lost their jobs or were ashamed,
Everyone but the Donald, all he did was shift the blame.
Then one cold December day,
Mike Flynn said “I lied,
All the Trumpsters broke the law
Now they will be tried I’m sure.”
Oh, how the blue states loved this
And they shouted out with glee,
Donald the chief molester,
You’ll go down for perjury.
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Brilliant! I’ll be singing this all day today and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
18
Don't lump Al Franken in with these nasty men.
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This is a humdinger, Steve.
6