Not anymore, Donald Trump

Sean McCarthy,
Staff Writer

Donald Trump has finally out-Trumped himself.

In a leaked 2005 interview with former Access Hollywood host Billy Bush, Trump told Bush that he had tried to hit on and have sex with an unidentified married woman who denied him. He said that he “took her out shopping and moved on her like a bitch.” Trump legitimized sexual assault in cases where a famous man is the culprit.

“I’m automatically attracted to beautiful [women] — I just start kissing them,” said Trump. “It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything … Grab them by the p—-. You can do anything.”

When the recording was publicly leaked to the Washington Post, Trump likened his speech to “locker room talk.” He believed that his supporters would understand, that they could excuse the talk about sexual assault because, after all, it is only talk.

Men must actively stand up and support our women when other men talk about them this way. It is not okay for men to think of women merely as sexual objects. It is not okay for men to belittle the same people who are our mothers, sisters and daughters.

Clearly others felt the same. Trump did not receive the unconditional support he was expecting. Earlier this month, Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan withdrew Trump’s invitation to attend and speak at a campaign event with him in Wisconsin.

Multiple athletes including, but not limited to, Oakland A’s pitcher Sean Doolittle, LA Clippers Sixth Man Jamal Crawford and Portland Trailblazers guard CJ McCollum have come out against Trump’s assertion that speech like that is not just “locker room talk.”

“We talk about a lot of stuff in the locker room. We don’t discuss assault,” McCollum told Time Magazine on Oct. 9.

Since the tape was released, not much has changed in relation to how his voters support Trump. Before the tape was released, he trailed behind Hillary Clinton by a few points but held a lead in conservative states like Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Utah, Indiana and Montana, according to Real Clear Politics.

Afterward, Clinton jumped to as much as a 14 point lead in the polls, which have since come back down a bit to a decent lead of around three to six points. Trump still holds leads in each of the conservative states listed and more. All of the states have higher than average populations of white people except Texas and Louisiana, and are Republican states.

Trump has been criticized by many for his use of vulgar language towards Muslims and Mexicans when he claimed he would ban all Muslims from entering the country and that Mexico only “sends their murderers and rapists.”

He made it clear that he is not a huge supporter of non-white people, but surprised many when white women were also on list of people to demoralize. On a 2009 episode of the reality television show Celebrity Apprentice, Trump told contestant Brande Roderick that being on her knees was “a pretty picture.”

Trump has had issues with strong women, like Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, who aren’t afraid to call him out. During the Republican debate on Aug. 7, 2015, Kelly questioned him thoroughly about his use of words such as “fat pigs, slobs, dogs” and “disgusting animals” to describe women he did not like. The next day he told CNN’s Don Lemon, “You could see blood coming out of her eyes….out of her wherever.”

However, this time his thin, snake-like lips crossed a line that every American should have rallied against because everyone has at least one woman who is important in their life. Sadly, that has not happened and male chauvinists have instead rallied behind Trump and his pathetic excuse. Shortly after Trump was exposed, the hashtag #RepealThe19th surfaced from his supporters, which is a good example of exactly who is in his corner. The 19th Amendment was passed in 1920 and gave women the right to vote.

“Men at times talk like that,” said Trump’s main lackey and former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani, on CNN’s State of the Union on Oct. 9. “First of all, I don’t know that he did it to anyone. This is talk, and gosh almighty, he who hasn’t sinned, throw the first stone here.”

The thing is, Mr. Giuliani, men like that are immature and should not be in the running for president of the United States. Trump was 59 years old when he made that comment,

Most men who would say anything of this kind, tend to say it to another man behind closed doors after looking both ways behind their back. Those men know it is wrong but say it as a form of crude humor. However, Trump said it arrogantly and confidently, knowing that he was being filmed.

In my communication theory class here at East Bay, we had a group discussion about this very subject and one male in the back of the class reiterated what Trump said, but related it to rapper Chris Brown when he was charged for assault of former girlfriend, pop singer Rihanna.

He said, “Look at Chris Brown and Rihanna. He beat her but there are a lot of girls online who are saying that they would do anything to get beat by him too. He’s a star so he can do whatever he wants.” This is a young man who has made an excuse for Brown’s domestic abuse and Trump’s sexual assault because each are famous.

This young man probably does not even understand the true depths of what he said; however, what he said excuses men from any blame. That notion is similar to men justifying rape when a woman wears skimpy clothing.

This is rape culture and this must stop.

We live in a society that can share news instantly. We thought that we lived in a society that moved forward, instead of backwards. However, Trump has exposed that notion to be false. There are men who are not ready to shed gender roles and see women as their equals. There are men who are afraid that they will lose their manliness if a woman is stronger than he is.

There are also men who will say “no more” to Trump and people who are like-minded, but we must all come together and support each other for any real progress to be made. We as men must support our women and empower them, instead of elect leaders who only hope to tear them down.