White House: All The Women Who Say Trump Sexually Harassed Them Are Liars

Jenna Amatulli
Updated

The White House on Friday confirmed its official stance on the women accusing President Donald Trump of sexual misconduct: They are lying.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the position in a press conference on Friday afternoon after CBS News reporter Jacqueline Alemany posed a question:

“Obviously sexual harassment has been in the news. At least 16 women accused the president of sexually harassing them throughout the course of the campaign. Last week, during a press conference in the Rose Garden, the president called these accusations ‘fake news.’ Is the official White House position that all these women are lying?”

“Yeah, we’ve been clear on that from the beginning and the president has spoken on it,” Sanders said in a curt response.

Sanders’ statement comes as recent reports of sexual misconduct have inspired individuals across industries to speak out against sexual assault. An article published by The New York Times about film executive Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual harassment sparked the movement. On Weinstein, Trump said he was “not at all surprised to see it,” but did not remark on the victims.

Trump has previously been recorded making inappropriate comments in the now infamous “Access Hollywood” tape released last year, which prompted a number of women to come forward with allegations. Trump has continuously denied any wrongdoing.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated an article in The New Yorker about Weinstein’s alleged sexual misconduct sparked the recent push to expose such behavior. In fact, a New York Times article on the subject preceded The New Yorker’s.

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"It happens at any time."

“I was tattooed by a guy and while he was tattooing me, he kept inserting his fingers up my vagina. He said he had to keep his hand there to keep the skin taut for tattooing. The most ironic part is that the tattoo is the symbol for female; I wanted the tattoo as a sign of feminism and got sexually assaulted in the process.”
“I was tattooed by a guy and while he was tattooing me, he kept inserting his fingers up my vagina. He said he had to keep his hand there to keep the skin taut for tattooing. The most ironic part is that the tattoo is the symbol for female; I wanted the tattoo as a sign of feminism and got sexually assaulted in the process.”

"It happens unwillingly."

“I can't remember details or the order of things, but she was very, very aggressive. She left bruises all over me and I was bleeding the next morning. She held me down and forced a lot. I didn't say no clearly, but I definitely didn't agree to the aggressive actions she took. Lack of consent is not the presence of a no, it's also the absence of a yes.”

"It happens anywhere."

“I lost my virginity at a party when I was in middle school. He gave me a drink and I can’t really remember what happened after that. Just bits and pieces for the most part... but I couldn’t say no or push him off while he made me have sex with him. I woke up next to him and I was really sore but i couldn’t tell anyone what happened.”

"It happens suddenly."

“I blacked out and just remember very short flashing images… I remember him asking me if I was on birth control, but I was too incoherent to talk. I was trying to explain that I wasn't. We had sex anyway. I didn't want to and I barely remember it." 
“I blacked out and just remember very short flashing images… I remember him asking me if I was on birth control, but I was too incoherent to talk. I was trying to explain that I wasn't. We had sex anyway. I didn't want to and I barely remember it." 

"It happens to anyone."

“When I was in high school, the only place to live for me was my uncle's place. I thought I could trust them, but there were nights when I would wake up to one of them, the biological one, in my room, or he would sneakily try to touch my junk. I never really resolved it.”
“When I was in high school, the only place to live for me was my uncle's place. I thought I could trust them, but there were nights when I would wake up to one of them, the biological one, in my room, or he would sneakily try to touch my junk. I never really resolved it.”

"It happens unexpectedly."

“I was at a party once, sober, and two of my good female friends pulled me aside, telling me that someone needed help. They pulled me into this room and pinned me against the wall and started kissing me and taking my pants off, but I was able to push them off and leave. The two girls who were my friends claim that they don't remember the incident since they were drunk.”

"It happens without reason."

“We had been drinking and, by the end of the night, I had lost all control. I was falling in and out of consciousness. I remember waking up with him on top of me but I kept passing back out before I could do anything about it. I always thought it was my fault for getting too drunk.”
“We had been drinking and, by the end of the night, I had lost all control. I was falling in and out of consciousness. I remember waking up with him on top of me but I kept passing back out before I could do anything about it. I always thought it was my fault for getting too drunk.”

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.