'His Hands Were Everywhere... He Was Like an Octopus':
FIVE Women Come Forward to Claim Donald Trump 'Touched Them Inappropriately'
- Five women claimed they were touched inappropriately by
Trump
- The New York Times published two of the five allegations against Trump
- He is reportedly considering suing the newspaper for publishing the story
- Trump insiders told DailyMail.com Trump is going to 'war' with the Times
- One woman said Trump was 'like an octopus' when he 'assaulted' her
- Trump denied the allegations, accusing the reporter of making them up
- The Palm Beach Post also claims another woman was groped by Trump
- A fourth accused Trump on Facebook of groping and trying to seduce her
- Cassandra Searles, a former Miss USA contestant, made her claim online
- 'He continually grabbed my a** and invited me to his hotel room,' she said
- Fifth woman to accuse him was People Magazine writer Natasha Stoynoff
- Stoynoff said Trump forced himself on her while she was interviewing him
- He said they were 'going to have an affair', as Melania was out of the room
- Clinton's campaign said allegations 'fit everything we know' about Trump
Daily Mail UK, 13 October 2016
Five women have come forward to accuse Donald Trump of trying to touch them inappropriately without their consent. The first two women told the New York Times they were 'touched inappropriately' by Trump in two separate incidents, with one saying the Republican's hands were 'like an octopus'.
Jessica Leeds (top left), a 74-year-old former businesswoman who lives in Manhattan, told the newspaper she was 'assaulted' by Trump on a flight when she was 38. Leeds explained how she was sat beside Trump in first class on a flight, when the Republican nominee lifted the arm-rest between then and allegedly began touching her. 'He was like an octopus,' she told the Times. 'His hands were everywhere.'
The second woman the newspaper claims was touched inappropriately by Trump is Rachel Crooks (top right). Crooks was a 22-year-old working as a receptionist at Bayrock Group, a real estate company based in Trump Tower in Manhattan, when she says Trump kissed her on the mouth without permission while in an elevator.
A third woman, Mindy McGillivray (bottom left), said the Republican nominee groped her 13 years ago at his Mar-a-Lago mansion.
The fourth woman to claim Trump acted inappropriately towards her was Cassandra Searles (middle), a former Miss USA contestant. 'He probably doesn't want me telling the story about that time he continually grabbed my a** and invited me to his hotel room,' she said.
The fifth woman to bring new allegations against Trump was Natasha Stoynoff (bottom right), a writer with People Magazine. She said Trump tried to force herself on her and said they were 'going to have an affair', while she was interviewing Donald and Melania. Trump's campaign has denied the allegations.
The New York Times spoken with two women who say they were victims of the Republican nominee in two separate incidents that took place in 1980 and another in 2005.
Those allegations were then followed by ones from the Palm Beach Post and People Magazine, while Yahoo News republished an accusation made earlier this year.
Trump's campaign denied the accusations, saying they are 'fiction' and 'completely false'.
His former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski also raised questions about the validity of the allegations, before trying to compare Trump's alleged abuse to Hillary Clinton's work as a lawyer when she defended a rapist.
Trump's legal team also appeared to hit back against the claim, sending the New York Times a letter demanding a retraction.
'Your article is reckless, defamatory and constitutes libel per se. It is apparent from, among other things, the timing of the article, that this is nothing more than a politically-motivated attempt to defeat Mr Trump's candidacy,' it reads.
Meanwhile, two sources in Trump's campaign told DailyMail.com a lawsuit against the Times is already being drafted. One of those sources, a senior campaign aide, said the Republican nominee for president is going to 'war' against the newspaper.
Number one: Jessica Leeds (above on Wednesday) said that Trump 'grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hand up her skirt' on a flight more than three decades ago
'He was like an octopus,' Leed (above) told the Times. 'His hands were everywhere.'
The second woman the New York Times claims was touched inappropriately by Trump is Rachel Crooks (pictured)
Crooks (right) was a 22-year-old working as a receptionist at Bayrock Group, a real estate company based in Trump Tower in Manhattan, when she says Trump kissed her on the mouth without permission while in an elevator
The fifth woman to claim Trump acted inappropriately towards her was Cassandra Searles (pictured), a former Miss USA contestant
Jessica Leeds, a 74-year-old former businesswoman who lives in Manhattan, was the first woman featured in the New York Times story.
Leeds told the newspaper she was 'assaulted' by Trump on a flight when she was 38.
The 74-year-old explained how she was sat beside the Republican nominee in first class, when he lifted the arm-rest between then and allegedly began touching her.
Leeds, who told the newspaper the incident 'was an assault', said she rushed to the back of the plane to escape Trump's advances.
Quote:
DONALD TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN STATEMENT DENYING THE ALLEGATIONS
This entire article is fiction, and for the New York Times to launch a completely false, coordinated character assassination against Mr Trump on a topic like this is dangerous.
To reach back decades in an attempt to smear Mr Trump trvializes sexual assault, and it sets a new low for where the media is willing to go in its efforts to determine this election.
It is absurd to think that one of the most recognizable business leaders on the planet with a strong record of empowering women in his companies would do the things alleged in this story, and for this to only become public decades later in the final month of a campaign for president should say it all.
Further, The Times story buries the pro-Clinton financial and social media activity on behalf of Hillary Clinton's candidacy, reinforcing that this is truly nothing more than a political attack. This is a sad day for the Times.'
-- Jason Miller, Senior Communications Advisor
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Crooks was a 22-year-old working as a receptionist at Bayrock Group, a real estate company based in Trump Tower in Manhattan, when she says Trump kissed her on the mouth without permission while in an elevator in 2005.
'It was so inappropriate,' Crooks told the New York Times. 'I was so upset that he thought I was so insignificant that he could do that.'
Crooks told the newspaper the incident took place after she shook hands with Trump in an elevator and he allegedly refused to let go. She says he then began kissing her on the cheeks, before then kissing her lips.
Three women have claimed Donald Trump tried to touch them inappropriately without consent
Trump's legal team fired off a letter to the New York Times accusing them of libel (above)
Trump furiously denied the allegations when approached by a journalist for the Times.
'None of this ever took place,' he shouted at the reporter, according to the paper, before telling the journalist they are a 'disgusting human being'.
The third woman to accuse the Republican nominee told her story to the Palm Beach Post, saying she was groped by Trump 13 years ago at his Mar-a-Lago mansion.
Mindy McGillivray, 36, told the newspaper Trump grabbed her backside after she helped a photographer who was covering a concert at Trump's Palm Beach manor.
McGillivray, who was 23 at the time, said she was with Ken Davidoff at the Mar-a-Lago on January 24, 2003.
.
Searles shared a post on social media claiming Trump treated the women in the Miss USA pageant 'like cattle'
'All of a sudden I felt a grab, a little nudge. I think it’s Ken’s camera bag, that was my first instinct,' she told the newspaper. 'I turn around and there’s Donald. He sort of looked away quickly.'
McGillivray told the newspaper she became furious when she saw Trump claim during the second presidential debate that he had never groped a woman inappropriately, and immediately began to consider sharing her story.
'It’s a respect issue for all women. If something like this happens to you, you should speak up,' she said, according to the Palm Beach Post.
She also admitted to the newspaper she has a lengthy criminal record, and understands that it will likely be brought up in the wake of her making the allegations against Trump.
McGillivray has two felony arrests, and was arrested on DUI and child neglect charges in 2012.
The fourth woman to bring new allegations against Trump was Natasha Stoynoff, a writer with People Magazine.
Mindy McGillivray (pictured), 36, told the Palm Beach Post that Trump grabbed her backside after she helped a photographer who was covering a concert at Trump's Palm Beach manor
Stoynoff recounted how she had traveled to Mar-a-Largo to interview Trump and his wife, Melania, in December 2005.
'Our photo team shot the Trumps on the lush grounds of their Florida estate, and I interviewed them about how happy their first year of marriage had been,' she wrote .
'When we took a break for the then very-pregnant Melania to go upstairs and change wardrobe for more photos, Donald wanted to show me around the mansion.
'There was one "tremendous" room in particular, he said, that I just had to see.
'We walked into that room alone, and Trump shut the door behind us. I turned around, and within seconds, he was pushing me against the wall, and forcing his tongue down my throat.
'I was grateful when Trump’s longtime butler burst into the room a minute later, as I tried to unpin myself.'
Stoynoff went on to detail how her 'self-esteem crashed to zero' as a result of the alleged attack, which she struggled to get her head around.
'How could the actions of one man make feel so utterly violated?' she wrote.
The fourth woman to bring new allegations against Trump was Natasha Stoynoff, a writer with People Magazine
'I’d been interviewing A-list celebrities for over 20 years, but what he’d done was a first. Did he think I’d be flattered?'
The writer then explained how she tried to get on with the task at hand, interviewing the Trumps, before Donald said something as they were again alone, waiting for Melania.
Trump smiled and leaned forward.
"You know we’re going to have an affair, don’t you?" he declared. "Have you ever been to Peter Luger’s for steaks? I’ll take you. We’re going to have an affair, I’m telling you."'
The fifth woman to claim Trump acted inappropriately towards her was Cassandra Searles, a former Miss USA contestant, who did so earlier this year only to have her claim highlighted in the wake of Wednesday's allegations.
Searles, who won Miss Washington in 2013, shared a picture of the other models who took part in the Trump-owned pageant in 2013 on Facebook and included a caption saying the Republican nominee treated them 'like cattle'.
Searles took her comments a step further replying to a comment on the picture, claiming Trump groped her and tried to seduce her
'He probably doesn’t want me telling the story about that time he continually grabbed my a** and invited me to his hotel room,' she said, according to Yahoo News
'Do y’all remember that one time we had to do our onstage introductions, but this one guy treated us like cattle and made us do it again because we didn’t look him in the eyes?' she wrote in June.
'Do you also remember when he then proceeded to have us lined up so he could get a closer look at his property?
'Oh I forgot to mention that guy will be in the running to become the next President of the United States.'
Searles took her comments a step further replying to a comment on the picture, claiming Trump groped her and tried to seduce her.
'He probably doesn’t want me telling the story about that time he continually grabbed my a** and invited me to his hotel room,' she said, according to Yahoo News.
It also appears another woman is set to speak out again against Trump, 1997 Miss USA contestant Temple Taggart.
Taggart, a former Miss Utah, said earlier this year that Trump kissed her on the lips during the pageant.
'I thought, "Oh my God, gross"... I think there were a few other girls that he kissed on the mouth. I was like "Wow, that’s inappropriate",' she told the newspaper.
'When I first heard the leaked tape, it's very unsettling... you don't want to hear anyone talking about women like that,' she said in a promotion clip for the interview.
'You look at your sweet, little innocent daughter and think, "this is the world I'm raising her in".'
Trump responded to Taggart's accusation by saying: 'I don't know anything about her. I don't even know who she is.'
1997 Miss USA contestant Temple Taggart is set to speak out again against the Republican candidate
Taggart (pictured during the 1997 pageant) said Trump approached her and kissed her on the lips during the contest
Hillary Clinton's campaign condemned the behavior described in the latest allegations, saying it suggest Trump lied to voters during Sunday's second presidential debate.
'This disturbing story sadly fits everything we know about the way Donald Trump has treated women,' communications director Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement.
'These reports suggest that he lied on the debate stage and that the disgusting behavior he bragged about in the tape is more than just words.'
Fox News host Megyn Kelly weighed in on the topic, covering both whether Trump would have much chance in a lawsuit and the complicated nature of women who have been victims of assault coming forward.
Responding to a report Trump's camp was drafting a suit, Kelly tweeted:
'Risks: Defamation v. hard to prove since DT=pub figure. Also, truth is a defense so NYT will double down & will cast wide net in discovery.'
The star host also discussed why the alleged victims may have taken so long to come forward and report the abuse.
Fox News host Megyn Kelly weighed in on the topic, covering both whether Trump would have much chance in a lawsuit and the complicated nature of women who have been victims of assault coming forward
Kelly responded to a report on the risks Trump would be taking if he tries to sue the New York Times over the story
Kelly, who alleged said she was abused by former Fox News boss Roger Ailes, also explained why it is hard for women who have been sexually assaulted to come forward
'Well, these women, they never had a lawsuit,' she said on the Kelly File. 'And the truth is that victims of sexual assault, victims of rape, victims of unwanted groping, they often don’t come forward.
'They’re humiliated, especially back in the day. They were told move along, it happens to all women, you’ve got to take it. It’s a complicated issue.'
Kelly's remarks are related to the Trump allegations, but also linked to the Roger Ailes abuse scandal at Fox, to which she potential a part of.
It was reported earlier this year that Kelly told Fox's internal investigators she was subjected to sexual harassment from Ailes. She has refused to speak about her experience with the disgraced former network boss publicly.
Despite the controversial day, Trump's current campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, was able to find a small bit of humor.
Despite the controversial day, Trump's current campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, was able to find a small bit of humor by referencing a recent SNL skit about her
Conway tweeted, shortly after 12:30am on Thursday: 'Just leaving Trump Tower, definitely looking like those "last 10 minutes of prom", Kate McKinnon. @nbcsnl.'
The comment was in reference to a recent SNL skit, where Conway - played by Kate McKinnon, was described as looking like: 'the last 10 minutes of prom'.
The accusations come after Trump was caught on a hot mic in 2005 bragging about being able to get away with forcing himself on women due to his celebrity and status.
'You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful - I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait,' he was heard saying in the recording published last Friday.
'And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p---y. You can do anything.'
Wednesday's controversy comes just one day after Trump's campaign said it was planning to ramp up its attacks on Bill Clinton as a way to attack Hillary.
'We’re going to turn him into Bill Cosby,' the CEO of Trump's campaign, Steve Bannon, told staffers
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A TIMELINE OF ALL THE WOMEN WHO HAVE ACCUSED DONALD TRUMP OF ASSAULT OR GROPING THEM
1980 - Jessica Leeds
Leeds, a 74-year-old former businesswoman who lives in Manhattan, told the New York Times on Wednesday she was 'assaulted' by Trump on a flight when she was 38.
Leeds explained how she was sat beside Trump in first class on a flight, when the Republican nominee lifted the arm-rest between then and allegedly began touching her.
'He was like an octopus,' she told the Times. 'His hands were everywhere.'
1989 - Ivana Trump
The Donald's first wife claimed she was 'violated' by him after a violent attack, documents filed as part of the couple's divorce claimed.
Ivana distanced herself from the claims last year when Trump started his campaign.
1993 - Jill Harth
Jill Harth, a makeup artist, accused Trump of 'attempted rape' stemming from an incident in 1993.
Harth said the incident in question took place during a visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion in January of that year.
'He pushed me up against the wall, and had his hands all over me and tried to get up my dress again,' she told the newspaper. 'I had to physically say: "What are you doing? Stop it."'
1997 - Four Miss Teen USA contestants
Mariah Billado and three other contestants claimed to that Trump walked into dressing rooms prior to the pageant while competitors were naked.
'I remember putting on my dress really quick because I was like, "Oh my god, there’s a man in here".' Bilado told the website, before adding Trump said something like: 'Don’t worry, ladies, I’ve seen it all before'.
1997 - Miss USA contestant Temple Taggart
Temple Taggart, a former Miss Utah, said earlier this year that Trump kissed her on the lips during the pageant.
'I thought, "Oh my God, gross"... I think there were a few other girls that he kissed on the mouth. I was like "Wow, that’s inappropriate",' she told the newspaper.
Taggart has also sat down for an interview.
'When I first heard the leaked tape, it's very unsettling... you don't want to hear anyone talking about women like that,' she said in a promotion clip for the interview.
'You look at your sweet, little innocent daughter and think, "this is the world I'm raising her in".'
Trump responded to Taggart's accusation by saying: 'I don't know anything about her. I don't even know who she is.'
2000 - Miss USA contestant Bridget Sullivan
Bridget Sullivan said earlier this year that the then-owner of the pageant walked through the backstage area to wish contestants good luck, despite the fact many of them were naked at the time.
'The time that he walked through the dressing rooms was really shocking. We were all naked,' Sullivan said.
She went on to describe Trump as a 'creepy uncle', saying he would 'hug you just a little low on your back.'
2001 - Miss USA contestant Tasha Dixon
Dixon said earlier this year walked into the changing rooms at the pageant without warning, meaning many of the competitors were naked or not fully dressed.
'Our first introduction to him was when we were at the dress rehearsal and half naked changing into our bikinis,' Dixon said in an interview. 'He just came strolling right in. There was no second to put a robe on or any sort of clothing or anything. Some girls were topless. Other girls were naked.'
2003 - Mindy McGillivray
Mindy McGillivray, 36, said that Trump grabbed her backside after she helped a photographer who was covering a concert at Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion.
McGillivray, who was 23 at the time, said she was with Ken Davidoff at the Mar-a-Lago on January 24, 2003.
'All of a sudden I felt a grab, a little nudge. I think it’s Ken’s camera bag, that was my first instinct,' she told the newspaper. 'I turn around and there’s Donald. He sort of looked away quickly.'
2005 - Rachel Crooks
Rachel Crooks was a 22-year-old working as a receptionist at Bayrock Group, a real estate company based in Trump Tower in Manhattan, when she says Trump kissed her on the mouth without permission while in an elevator in 2005.
'It was so inappropriate,' Ms. Crooks said. 'I was so upset that he thought I was so insignificant that he could do that.'
Crooks told the newspaper the incident took place after she shook hands with Trump in an elevator and he allegedly refused to let go. She says he then began kissing her on the cheeks, before then kissing her lips.
2005 - Donald Trump admits he would 'inspect' pageant contestants backstage
Donald Trump bragged about the extra power he had during an interview with Howard Stern in April 2005, the tapes of which have been released by CNN.
'I’ll tell you the funniest is that I’ll go backstage before a show and everyone’s getting dressed,' Trump said about the pageant.
'No men are anywhere, and I’m allowed to go in, because I’m the owner of the pageant and therefore I’m inspecting it…. "Is everyone OK"? You know, they’re standing there with no clothes. "Is everybody OK?"
'And you see these incredible looking women, and so I sort of get away with things like that.'
2005 - Trump brags about being able to grope women without consent to Billy Bush on the set of Access Hollywood
'You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful - I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait,' he was heard saying to Billy Bush on the set of Access Hollywood in 2005 in a recording published last Friday.
'And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p---y. You can do anything.'
2005 - Natasha Stoynoff
Natasha Stoynoff recounted how she had traveled to Mar-a-Largo to interview Trump and his wife, Melania, in December 2005. She said Donald took her into a room he really wanted to see, before forcing himself on her.
'We walked into that room alone, and Trump shut the door behind us. I turned around, and within seconds, he was pushing me against the wall, and forcing his tongue down my throat,' she wrote.
Stoynoff went on to say how she was rescued when a butler walked in, however when the two were alone again shortly after Trump told her they were 'going to have an affair'.
2010 - Friend of CNN anchor Erin Burnett
Erin Burnett detailed an encounter that a friend had with Trump in March 2010 in the boardroom at Trump Tower, when he allegedly tried to kiss her without permission.
The woman told Burnett: 'Trump took Tic Tacs, suggested I take them also. He then leaned in, catching me off guard, and kissed me almost on lips. I was really freaked out.
'After (the meeting), Trump asked me to come into his office alone. Was really unsure what to do. ... Figured I could handle myself. Anyway, once in his office he kept telling me how special I am and gave me his cell, asked me to call him. I ran the hell out of there.'
2013 - Miss USA contestant Cassandra Searles
Searles, who won Miss Washington in 2013, said Trump tried to seduce her, groped her, and treated the women in the pageant 'like cattle'.
'Do y’all remember that one time we had to do our onstage introductions, but this one guy treated us like cattle and made us do it again because we didn’t look him in the eyes?' she wrote in June.
'Do you also remember when he then proceeded to have us lined up so he could get a closer look at his property?
'Oh I forgot to mention that guy will be in the running to become the next President of the United States.'
She then added: 'He probably doesn’t want me telling the story about that time he continually grabbed my a** and invited me to his hotel room.'
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