PRESIDENT Donald Trump gave his full support behind the candidacy of Roy Moore, a former judge who is running for senator in a special election in Alabama on December 12.
Trump endorsed Moore despite the fact that at least six women have come forward, accusing Moore of making unwanted sexual advances toward them when they were teens, with one of them being only 14. Two of them accused him of assault and molestation. Moore was already in his 30s then and was an assistant district attorney in Alabama.
When the news about Moore broke out, several Republican leaders have distanced themselves from Moore, with some calling on Moore to step aside and quit the race. Even Trump’s own daughter Ivanka Trump said in an interview, “There’s a special place in hell for people who prey on children,” when asked about allegations against Moore. “I’ve yet to see a valid explanation, and I have no reason to doubt the victims’ accounts.”
BUT for President Trump, it suffices that Moore DENIED the accusations of these women. That was all that he needed to hear from the former judge, despite the pain, shame and damage the latter has caused these girls through many years, who have now mustered enough strength to tell their stories.
This news about Moore allegedly preying on teenage girls was but one of the many stories of other women coming out to reveal the dark secret about how they had been sexually victimized by men in the workplace, at home, in the community — with the hashtag #MeToo as a platform for ordinary girls and women to speak up so this culture of sexual abuse and objectification of women may be addressed.
Trump was asked what he thought about these women now speaking out about their sexual abuse and harassment stories to which he told reporters that it was great that they were speaking up, but maintained that Moore denied the accusations. He questioned why women were speaking out against Moore at this time, after decades, and suggested this was part of a conspiracy to damage the candidacy of Moore. Moore denied all allegations, and that was all that mattered to him. He was effectively saying that these women, who were allegedly victimized by Moore when they were teenage girls, were all liars.
Sounds familiar? Trump himself had been accused by at least 16 women of sexual misconduct and of sexually violating women, even without their consent. During the “Access Hollywood” open mic interview scandal that broke during the presidential campaign, Trump gloated he could do everything because of his celebrity status.
BUT of course, Trump was using the “deny and deny” template to claim innocence. It worked for him before, why wouldn’t it work for Moore? He said the women who were accusing him were liars, and said he would sue them when he becomes president. He has not done so up to now.
Therefore, Trump has now thrown his 100 percent support for Moore. Nevermind his questionable character, Trump told voters they should vote for Moore and not for a liberal.
Respect for women? Respect for the truth? Respect for the laws and the rules and morality? For Donald J. Trump, president of the United States of America, it is all about winning — no matter what the cost.
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
