Amid growing pressure to address the extensive list of sexual assault allegations against the president as lawmakers, entertainers, and other industry leaders are being held accountable, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted on Friday that the allegations against President Trump are totally different than those made against Minnesota Senator Al Franken.
Why? Because, as Sanders claimed: “Senator Franken has admitted wrongdoing and the president hasn’t. I think that’s a very clear distinction.”
When pressed to explain why Trump shouldn’t face renewed scrutiny for the allegations of sexual misconduct that have long dogged his public life, Sanders tellingly said those allegations were “covered pretty extensively during the campaign.”
“We addressed it then,” she continued. “The American people spoke very loud and clear when they elected this president.”
They sure did. The American public heard Trump admitting—and even boasting—about committing sexual assault in the infamous Access Hollywood tape, in which he told Billy Bush that “when you’re a star, [women] let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.”
One month after that tape was published, the American people elected Trump as their president anyway. So unfortunately enough, on this point, Sanders is 100% correct.