Hillary Clinton today called Donald Trump an ‘admitted sex assaulter’ and compared him to disgraced alleged sex abuser Harvey Weinstein.
The failed Democratic presidential candidate, who has previously received thousands in campaign funding from Weinstein, told the BBC’s Andrew Marr ‘we have someone admitting to being a sexual assaulter in the Oval Office.’
She was referring to the Access Hollywood tape leaked during the campaign where Donald Trump was heard boasting about ‘grabbing women by the p****y’ in 2005.
Mrs Clinton is in the UK to promote her hand-wringing book about losing the election.
Hillary Clinton has drawn comparisons between Harvey Weinstein and Donald Trump, saying: ‘we have someone admitting to be a sexual assaulter in the Oval Office’
She told Marr: ‘I was really shocked and appalled because I’ve known him through politics as many Democrats have.
‘He’s been a supporter – he’s been a funder for all of us, for Obama, for me, for people who have run for office in the United States.
‘So it was just disgusting and the stories that have come out are heartbreaking.
‘And I really commend the women who have been willing to step forward now and tell their stories.
‘It’s important that we not just focus on him and whatever consequences flow from these stories about his behavior but that we recognize this kind of behavior cannot be tolerated anywhere, whether it’s in entertainment, politics,’ she said.
‘There has to be a recognition that we must stand against this kind of action that is so sexist and misogynistic.
And asked about three reports of sexual misconduct against her husband and former president, Bill Clinton, she said: ‘That has all been litigated.
‘That was subject of a huge investigation in the late 90s and there were conclusions drawn. That was clearly in the past.
‘It is something that has to be taken seriously, for anyone not just in entertainment.
‘The really sad part of the campaign was how this horrific tape, what he said about women in the past what he said about women during the campaign, was discounted by a lot of voters.’
The politician, who has previously received campaign funding from Weinstein, called rape and sexual assault allegations facing the movie mogul ‘heartbreaking’
Clinton was referring to the Access Hollywood tape leaked during the campaign where Donald Trump was heard boasting about ‘grabbing women by the p****y’ in 2005
Close relationship: Hillary Clinton benefited from hundreds of thousands from Harvey Weinstein for her campaigns and her family foundation
Clinton was no doubt referring to the Access Hollywood tape leaked during the campaign where Donald Trump was heard boasting about ‘grabbing women by the p****y’ in 2005
Asked if she believed Mr Trump and Weinstein were similar, she said: ‘I’m not a psychologist, I can’t draw that conclusion. There are credible reports from women about both that sound very similar.’
Weinstein’s spokeswoman Sallie Hofmeister has said: ‘Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr Weinstein.’
In another interview with Channel 4, Clinton revealed that she has not yet donated the money Weinstein gave to her campaign to charity, as she aid she would, because it must come from campaign funds.
Asked if she had returned the $13,000 from Weinstein, Clinton said: ‘We’e going to, yes, we’re going to.
‘Well it has to come out of our campaign funds, so there’s a little more, but it will be done.’
The case against Harvey Weinstein took on an international dimension Thursday, with police in New York and Britain launching investigations – while a fourth woman accused the movie mogul of rape.
An avalanche of claims of sexual harassment, assault and rape by the hugely influential Hollywood producer have surfaced since the publication last week of an explosive New York Times report alleging a history of abusive behavior dating back decades.
Long-term relationship: Gwyneth Paltrow stepped forward to accuse Harvey Weinstein of harassing her. Clinton said she was shocked by the allegations against her friend
On Thursday, American actress Rose McGowan became the fourth woman to accuse Weinstein of raping her
On Thursday, American actress Rose McGowan became the fourth woman to accuse Weinstein of raping her.
A spokesman for the New York Police Department meanwhile confirmed it was investigating a 2004 case, but provided no details.
The New York Daily News reported that the case involved aspiring actress Lucia Evans, who earlier told the New Yorker magazine that Weinstein had forced her to perform oral sex on him.
And a statement from Scotland Yard said the Metropolitan Police were investigating ‘an allegation of sexual assault by Merseyside Police.’ It did not elaborate.
McGowan also berated Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in a blistering series of tweets, claiming she told Amazon Studios chief Roy Price that Weinstein had raped her but was ignored.
‘Over & over I said it. He said it hadn’t been proven. I said I was the proof,’ she wrote.
Amazon Studios later said that Price – who has also been accused of sexual harassment by TV producer Isa Hackett – was ‘on leave of absence effective immediately.’
On Wednesday, Weinstein was seen in public for the first time in days when paparazzi descended upon him as he left his daughter’s home in Los Angeles.
‘Guys, I’m not doing OK but I’m trying,’ he said in a video obtained by ABC. ‘I got to get help. You know what, we all make mistakes.’
As he climbed into an oversized sports utility vehicle, he said he hoped people would give him ‘a second chance.’
The TMZ website reported that Weinstein later flew to Arizona to enter a rehabilitation center, possibly The Meadows, a facility northwest of Phoenix where golfer Tiger Woods and supermodel Kate Moss have been treated.