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Trump’s 2005 comments disgust women, but change few opinions

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump looks on as Juanita Broaddrick speaks before the second presidential debate with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at Washington University on Sunday in St. Louis.

MANCHESTER, N.H. » Women voters in swing states are expressing deep disgust about Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s assertion that an old tape featuring him talking about groping women amounted to “locker room talk” and not sexual assault.

But interviews with several dozen today show Trump’s latest actions, including bringing women who have accused former President Bill Clinton of sexual harassment or rape to Sunday’s debate, did little to sway their opinions about the presidential contest. Many Republicans and independents said they already weren’t going to support Trump, but weren’t convinced to vote for Hillary Clinton. Some said they wouldn’t vote at all or would choose Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson.

“It didn’t surprise me that it came from him. It makes it even more shameful that there’s a possibility that he would represent the United States,” said Chris O’Rourke, a New Hampshire voter who doesn’t identify with a political party. But, she added, “I’m not a fan of the Clintons. … I don’t know if I’m going to vote.”

In the 2005 recording released Friday, Trump is heard saying he can grab, kiss and “do anything” with women because he is famous. On Sunday he denied that he’s ever grabbed women without their consent and again characterized the comments as “locker room talk.” Prior to the debate, he met with three women who have accused Bill Clinton of harassment or rape. The former president never faced criminal charges in relation to the allegations, and a lawsuit over an alleged rape was dismissed. He did settle a lawsuit with one of the women who claimed harassment.

Trump was already struggling with women voters, while Clinton is looking to run up her margins with them to make up for her challenges among men. Among registered voters, women were more likely than men to say they’d be afraid if Trump were elected, 60 percent to 52 percent, according to a recent Associated Press-GfK poll released before the tape of Trump came to light. They were more likely to say he’s not at all civil, 54 percent to 49 percent, or compassionate, 58 percent to 50 percent.

And 51 percent of women said they planned to vote for Clinton compared to 34 percent for Trump.

The 2005 tape prompted a stream of elected Republicans, including Sens. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Rob Portman of Ohio, to denounce their party’s nominee. But many women voters said the tape shouldn’t have been surprising.

Debbie Manzanares, a Republican from Colorado, won’t cast a vote for Trump, but the tapes aren’t the reason.

“If anyone’s surprised,” she said. “They haven’t been listening.”

Marie Cote, of New Hampshire, is one voter who said the tape did sway her vote. Cote, 60, said she was on the fence about voting for Trump because she sees him as a “go-getter.” But she has five daughters, and Trump’s comments about grabbing and kissing women disturbed her.

“It concerns me about what their future will be like if he’s president,” she said.

Cote said she’s now leaning toward voting for Clinton but hasn’t decided, adding, “It is hard for women.” Cote said she thinks it’s fair game for Trump to link Hillary Clinton to her husband’s infidelities: “She must’ve known he was a womanizer.”

Still, some female voters said they planned to vote for Trump despite being appalled by his latest remarks. Susan Broadwell of New Hampshire, who wore a “Nobody for President” shirt as she grocery shopped, said some of Trump’s behavior is “distressing, to say the least.” But she said Trump’s words pale in comparison to some of Clinton’s actions, particularly her response to the 2012 attack that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya.

Broadwell, 56, met Trump at a rally in New Hampshire earlier this year. She said she appreciates that he is the same person in public and in private.

“I’m willing to see what he can do,” she said.

But others said they’ll vote for Johnson because they dislike Clinton and Trump so deeply. Cynthia Isom of Pennsylvania said the recording reveals Trump’s true thoughts on women and that she felt he was trying to intimidate Clinton in Sunday’s debate.

“I just can’t look in the mirror and say I voted for either one of them,” she said.

Democrats like Anne Green of Pennsylvania wonder how any women could vote for Trump at this point.

“If any woman votes for Trump, they’re out of their mind, but I do know a few people who are,” she said.

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Chart the path Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton must take on the Road to 270 to reach the White House with AP’s Electoral College interactive map: http://elections.ap.org/content/road-270-0

10 responses to “Trump’s 2005 comments disgust women, but change few opinions”

  1. klastri says:

    Thanks to everyone here who supported Donald Trump in the primary. You pretended that Trump is not a psychotic and have given the Democratic Party the best gift possible – a Republican nominee with a 0% chance of winning!

    What a gift!

  2. mctruck says:

    And, I stated earlier that the suit accusing Donald Trump and his convicted sex offender friend, Jeffery Epstein of raping a 13 year old girl multiple times is scheduled for a hearing in court on December 16, 2016.
    The lawyer who successfully defended Casey Anthony in her case, has now turned her attention on Donald Trump and Jeffery Epstein, her name is, Cheney Mason. This case will soon be lighting up the shock waves through out the media world.
    Lock him up, as they say. Stay tuned.

    • mctruck says:

      Sorry, Cheney Mason is a male lawyer, ooops.

      The story is on AOL.

    • mctruck says:

      This is the third go around with this case. As stated earlier the courts have allowed continuance of this case because of how the first two cases were mishandled. Not to go into too much details but as they say, “third time is a charm.” The lawyer and his assistants have files of documents along with eye witness information going in.

  3. 64hoo says:

    after watching the debate and comments that people are writing about or AP and other news media talking to people what they think about Hillary and Donald I have come to this conclusion to the American voters, would you vote for trump who wants to close the borders and keep our country safe and secure from terrorist murdering us coming into this country through all these Syrian refugees even though trump is a little flawed and said things years ago, or would you vote for Hillary which came out on those leaks where she says we should have open borders and she wants to bring in 550% more of the 10,000 Syrian refugees here, where we will be hit by Islamic terrorists killing us in our own country. we have to secure our borders first before we start working on our economic plans to build this country, its up to you American voters come election day trump or Hillary. trump we will have a more secured country. Hillary we will have Islamic terrorist killing our relatives family and friends. so go ahead and make your choice, but I will say this I will not feel sorry for people who lost loved ones from the terrorists attacks that will happen if Hillary is president, that’s what America deserves for putting the female felon in as president. so make the choice of who you want running this country trump or Clinton. LIFE IN AMERICA OR DEATH IN AMERICA. its in all our hands.

    • mctruck says:

      Oh please; donald will be too busy in his harem to bother with security for anybody.
      Take a look at the trump family faces past debate, stunned and in shock at the revelations of a sexual predator supreme.
      You sound like donald, “I know more than all the generals.”

      • mctruck says:

        Their eyes were depleted of that glitter and life. I feel very sorry especially for his children having to come to grips with the reality of such a foul human being.

  4. Pocho says:

    I sympathize with Bill Clinton’s victims of sexual abuse and with that came Hillary’s dissings. She even called Monica a BIMBO! I wait for Hillary’s camp to release a tape or coming up with Trump’s sex victims. lol. To the Trump campaign, excerpts of quotes with words don’t compare to recordings! Dig up Hillary’s recordings on Monica, there must be one somewhere or has the Biased Media made it unavailable or burned it? lol

    • mctruck says:

      o.k., repeat after me, “Bill is not running for President.”

      • Ronin006 says:

        No, Bill is not running for President, but the woman who defended his sexual assaults and viciously attacked and demonized the many woman who accused Bill Clinton of rape and sexual assault is running for President and that, of course, is Hillary.

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