TW: Mentions of sexual assault
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After Stormy Daniels' hush money case, Donald Trump is facing a new nightmare.
Over the past few decades, Trump has faced accusations of sexual assault from as many as 26 women, a history that spans various incidents. These claims involve inappropriate behavior ranging from unwanted advances to more serious accusations of assault.
One of the most publicized incidents was the Access Hollywood tape released in 2016, where Trump boasted about groping women. Despite numerous denials, court cases, and public scandals, Trump—who also made a sexist attack on Kamala Harris—continues to run for the presidency in 2024.
Now, a wave of political ads have been launched to remind voters of his troubled past with sexual misconduct allegations.
What is the troubling ad campaign about and who is running it?
On September 25, 2024, the Anti-Psychopath PAC launched a series of ads featuring two of Trump’s accusers, Natasha Stoynoff and Jessica Leeds. The political action committee is led by George Conway, the ex-husband of Trump aide Kellyanne Conway. It aims to bring attention to ‘egregious misconduct against women.’ These ads are part of a $500,000 campaign.
The ads will run in key locations until Election Day, including Trump’s home regions of Mar-a-Lago, Florida, and Bedminster, New Jersey. They will be broadcast on Trump’s most-watched channels, such as Fox News, ESPN, and The Golf Channel, while also airing on national platforms like CNN, MSNBC'sMorning Joe, Hallmark, and Lifetime.
Additionally, the ads are being featured heavily in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state, and are set to air during major political events, including the Vice Presidential debate on NewsNation on October 1, 2024.
What are the ads about and who are the women behind these ads?
According to PeopleMagazine, Natasha and Jessica detail their sexual assault experiences in the ads and claim that Trump shouldn’t be elected for a second term. Interestingly, the ads were launched in the same week Trump called himself a ‘protector’ of women.
Natasha Stoynoff
A former reporter for PeopleMagazine, Natasha alleges that in December 2005, during a trip to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump forced himself on her while his pregnant wife Melania, was in another room.
Natasha Stoynoff has worked as a journalist for several media, including Toronto Star, The Toronto Sun, and Time Magazine. She spent almost 20 years with People but has decided take a different career path. She now writes books and screenplays, as noted in her bio on Goodreads.
She details how Trump led her to a private room under the pretext of showing her a painting. Once inside the room, Trump ‘pushed me against the wall and started kissing me forcefully,’ according to her. Natasha recalled being saved when a butler entered the room, interrupting the encounter. In the ad, she shared:
I was in shock and smothered, and he had his hands here against my shoulders. I felt sick inside. I felt horrified, and thank goodness the butler charged into the room.
She ends the video by saying:
Donald Trump is an adjudicated sexual assaulter. We cannot elect this man as president.
Trump has previously claimed that he had never met Natasha, but a photo featured in the ad proves otherwise, reports Mediaite.
Jessica Leeds
In a second ad, Jessica Leeds describes her encounter with Trump on a plane. She was among the first women to accuse Trump of sexual assault during the 2016 presidential campaign. Leeds, a former businesswoman, claims that during the flight, Trump began groping her, attempted to kiss her, and put his hand up her skirt.
She managed to leave that seat and return to her original seat after being asked by a flight attendant to sit next to Trump in first class. Jessica was shaken by the encounter and said in the video:
He was trying to kiss me and I'm trying to push him away, he was basically overpowering me.
In 2016, Trump’s running mate JD Vance said he believed Jessica’s account was true. Leeds also testified in federal court in Manhattan in the spring of 2023 in connection with writer E. Jean Carroll's lawsuit for slander and sexual abuse against Trump, reports Hindustan Times.
Read more:
Donald Trump ordered to pay E.Jean Carroll $83.3 million: Here's what she plans to do with it
Marla Maples on supporting ex-husband Donald Trump: 'Anything from the past I’ve forgiven'
Sources used:
People Magazine: Donald Trump’s Sexual Assault Accusers Tell Their Stories in Chilling New Ads (Exclusive)
Mediaite: ‘I Tried to Push Him, He Kept Coming Back At Me’: Trump’s Sexual Assault Accusers Speak Out in Chilling 2024 Election Ad
Goodreads: Natasha Stoynoff
Hindustan Times: Who is Jessica Leeds? Trump airplane-assault accuser considering suing ‘sexual predator’, launches appeal to US voters
