Trump Accuser: We’re Forgotten By Those Who ‘Put Party Above All Else’
One of the 13 women who came forward accusing President Donald Trump of sexual misconduct during the 2016 campaign said she and other accusers feel forgotten in the recent wave of women coming forward accusing prominent men of inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment, especially by politicians.
“I mean, I think it’s been great,” the accuser, Rachel Crooks, said Monday on CNN’s “New Day” when asked about the recent “me too” movement of women going public with their stories of harassment.
“I’m so thankful that other women are having enough courage to come forward. But, yes, I do feel forgotten,” she continued. “I mean, you can’t help but wonder why people aren’t talking about Trump and the people that came forward for him and why is he immune to this? … I think we’re forgotten by people who want to put party above all else and that’s sad because this should be bigger than politics.”
Before the election, Crooks came forward with her story claiming that Trump kissed her without her consent when she introduced herself to him in 2005. At the time, Crooks said she was working for a company that was located inside Trump Tower. She said she saw Trump regularly using the elevator outside her office window, so one day she decided to introduce herself to him. Throughout the conversation he wouldn’t let go of her hand and repeatedly kissed her on the cheeks. He asked her if she was a model and then forcibly kissed her on the lips without her consent.
She said she decided to come forward because she “thought people would take it seriously,” but said that she and other accusers feel completely forgotten.
“I thought people would — I don’t know, take that into consideration at the polls,” she said. “I think it’s just evidence of sort of the political atmosphere these days. We’re forgotten by politicians who think it’s more convenient to keep Trump in office, you know, have him just sweeping his indiscretions under the rug.”
Crooks’ comments come a day after Billy Bush — the former NBC “Access Hollywood” host who was fired when the infamous video surfaced of him laughing with Trump as Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women — wrote an editorial in The New York Times expressing sympathy for the women who have accused the President of sexual misconduct. He put to rest all doubts of the authenticity of the tape and outlined some of the allegations against Trump, saying “I believe” the accusers.
While Crooks said she’d like to see Congress investigate Trump’s sexual misconduct, she said if that doesn’t happen, she hopes people will reconsider his behavior in the next election.
And if nothing else, she’d love an apology.
“That would be great. That would be a wonderful first step for him to acknowledge his behavior and apologize. I would definitely welcome that,” she said.
