A question by BBC’s Andrew Marr on disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein may get Hillary Clinton into hot water with the president. In an interview published Friday, the former secretary of state claimed her 2016 presidential rival was a self-confessed “sexual assaulter.”
Mrs. Clinton said she was “shocked and appalled” at decades of sexual harassment charges against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein — a long-time Democratic Party donor — before bringing up Mr. Trump.
“This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated anywhere, whether it’s in entertainment [or] politics,” Mrs. Clinton said. “After all, we have someone admitting to being a sexual assaulter in the Oval Office. There has to be a recognition that we must stand against the kind of action that is so sexist and misogynistic.”
Mr. Marr then noted that Mrs. Clinton’s memoir, “What Happened,” seems unconcerned about sexual-assault accusations against former President Bill Clinton.
“In your book, the three women brought on stage [during the 2016 campaign] by Trump attacking your husband, you kind of dismiss them. Was that the right thing to do? Are you sure about that?”
“Well yes, because that had all been litigated,” Mrs. Clinton replied.
The question by Mr. Marr was in reference to an October 2016 debate performance in St. Louis, Missouri, in which Mr. Clinton’s accusers — Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broaddrick and Paula Jones — sat in the audience.
- Juanita Broaddrick insists Mr. Clinton raped her in 1978 when she was 35 years old.
- Kathleen Willey claims Mr. Clinton sexually assaulted her November 1993 while she was a White House volunteer.
- Paula Jones filed a lawsuit against Mr. Clinton for sexual harassment in 1994. An $850,000 out-of-court settlement was reached in 1998.
Mrs. Clinton’s remarks to BBC are a likely response to a 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape released during Mr. Trump’s campaign, which featured lewd remarks to then-host Billy Bush.
“I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it, you can do anything — grab [women] by the p-y,” the billionaire told Mr. Bush.
“This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago,” Mr. Trump said after the story broke. “Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course — not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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