Donald Trump forcefully pushed back Friday against a series of allegations of sexual assault that have been leveled against him, saying he has no idea who the women accusers are and that the stories are “smears” and complete fabrications.
At a rally in North Carolina, Mr. Trump said attacks against him are part the media’s attempts to derail his campaign.
“I have no idea who these women are, I have no idea,” Mr. Trump told his supporters. “When you looked at that horrible woman last night, you said, ’I don’t think so.’
“Whoever she is, wherever she comes from, the stories are total fiction,” he said. “They are 100 percent made up. They never happened. They never would happen.”
Mr. Trump appeared to be alluding to former People Magazine reporter Natasha Stoynoff, who recently said Mr. Trump made unwanted advances when she was reporting on a story about his relationship with his wife, Melania, over 10 years ago.
“She is a liar,” Mr. Trump said. “Check out her Facebook page, you will understand.”
Mr. Trump said his campaign has urged him to focus his message on his plans to strengthen the economy and create jobs, but said he feels he has to respond to the claims being made.
“These are lies being pushed by the media and the Clinton campaign to try and keep their grip on our country,” he said. “They are all false. They are totally invented, fiction — all 100 percent, totally and completely fabricated.”
Mr. Trump said his accusers have no witnesses to prove their stories and are probably come out against him to gain some fame.
“It is a total setup,” he said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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