US presidential candidate Donald Trump has shocked the world with his outrageous remarks from urging a ban on Muslims entering the US to calling Mexican illegal immigrants 'rapists'. But it was his latest scandal, just weeks before Americans vote for their next leader, that has rocked the Republican party (GOP) and jeopardised his presidential bid.
After a year of disturbing rhetoric from US Republican nominee Donald Trump, it was reports of his lewd remarks and accusations of sexual misconduct that became the final nail in the coffin and unleashed turmoil within his campaign and the GOP.
It began when a 2005 recording obtained by the Washington Post surfaced, in which Trump is heard boasting about making sexual advances towards women. “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful – I just start kissing them,” Trump said on the tape. “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.”
When asked at the second presidential debate,Trump denied engaging in the conduct described on the tape.
TRUMP’S ACCUSERS
His denial encouraged a total of nine women to come forward in the past week, accusing the New York businessman of sexual harassment and groping. Among his accusers is a former People magazine reporter, a receptionist, former contestant on his reality TV show The Apprentice and a beauty pageant winner.
The stories of the first two women to come forward were published in The New York Times. Former Miss Utah Temple Taggart McDowell was quoted as saying that Trump "kissed me directly on the lips" when they were introduced in 1997. Taggart, who was just 21 at the time, said "I thought, 'Oh my God, gross.'"
In a video interview posted on NYT's website, Jessica Leeds recounts that during a flight to New York around 1980, Trump grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hand up her skirt.
GRAND OLD PARTY IN CRISIS
The public disclosures have set off a firestorm in the Grand Old Party (the Republican party), creating its biggest crisis in recent times. Close to "half of all 332 incumbent Republican senators, congress members and governors have condemned Trump's remarks and roughly one in 10 have called on him to drop out of the race", according to official statements and local news, revised by Reuters.
Top Republican John McCain publicly withdrew his endorsement of Trump and in a tweet stated that the content in the video "make it impossible to continue to offer even conditional support for his candidacy."
Even Trump's VP running mate Mike Pence, who is is standing by him, couldn't defend his remarks about women. "As a husband and father, I was offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump," Pence said in a statement. On October 10, top US Republican and House speaker Paul Ryan said he would no longer defend or campaign with Donald Trump. Instead, he would focus on “preserving party majorities in Congress”.
Many Republicans worry Trump's muddled campaign will cause extensive damage to the GOP. The party is now focusing its efforts to maintain control of the Senate. The Trump effect could have grave consequences for the Repubicans seeking re-election in the US Congress. In light of the new scandal, the fear is that Republican and independent voters will not vote or vote for another party.
However, a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows voters do not appear to be recoiling against GOP congressional candidates despite the bad press generated by the presidential nominee. Asked which party they would want to control US Congress after November’s elections, the results were close with 46% favouring Democrats and 44% backing Republicans.
TRUMP STRIKES BACK
From the onset of the women's claims, Trump has said the accusations are "absolutely false".
"I've never met these people. I don't even know who they are. They're made-up stories," Trump told a rally in Ohio on October 13.
Trump has reiterated at rallies and on Twitter that he believes the “election is rigged” and blames the media for making up the phony claims against him to help his opponent Hillary Clinton win.
In a series of tweets, Trump lashed out at the Republican party for abandoning him and has declared his campaign’s "shackles are off". He also hit back at Ryan who he called a "weak and ineffective" leader.
Despite, many women voters still backing him, the shocking accusations and rift within the party has led even Trump to admit he has lost a large number of the women's vote.
CNN reports that two new polls put Hillary Clinton ahead of Donald Trump. On Sunday, an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed Clinton is 11 percentage points ahead of Trump. While an ABC News/Washington Post poll put her lead at four points. A recent national opinion poll conducted by the right-leaning Fox News, which has focussed on bashing Clinton's emails than Trump' remarks, also put the Democratic nominee in the lead by seven points.
The third and final presidential debate will be held at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas On October 19.
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