Hurricane Matthew may have grown to be a Category 5 hurricane, but Donald Trump seems to be set on proving that not even a tropical cyclone can outshine him. On Oct. 7, The Washington Post released a video from 2005 that contained audio of Trump bragging to NBC Today Show host Billy Bush, then of “Access Hollywood,” about being able to kiss, grope and have sexual relations with women because of his fame. A hot microphone captured the 11-year-old video of Trump’s and Bush’s discussion as the two men arrived on the set of “Days of Our Lives,” where Trump would discuss his cameo on the soap opera, reported The Washington Post. Trump’s vulgar and predatory remarks toward women are yet another indicator of his unsuitability to serve as the leader of our nation. Moving forward, we should approach Nov. 8 holding no reservations about casting our vote against him.
Nearly 12 hours after the initial release of the video, Trump’s campaign released a video statement containing an apology from the candidate. At the beginning of the video, Trump stated, “I’ve never said I’m a perfect person, nor pretended to be someone that I’m not.” He then went on to say, “I’ve said and done things I regret and the words released today on this more-than-a-decade-old video are one of them.” Although he seemed to start off on the right track, the lack of sincerity and begrudging nature of his “apology” was palpable, emphasized by the permanent scowl etched on his face throughout the video. Additionally, he ended his statement by saying, “Bill Clinton has actually abused women and [Hillary Clinton] has bullied, attacked, shamed and intimidated his victims.” According to CNN, these were words that advisors strongly suggested he not include. Additionally, as Kevin Madden, a Republican strategist, said immediately after the statement was released on CNN: “That took 10 hours?”
There is no doubt in my mind that Trump, a man who has repeatedly spewed offensive rhetoric throughout his campaign with a refusal to apologize for any of it, does not understand the horrifying nature of his statements. To boast about grabbing women by their genitalia and discussing women like they are solely instruments of pleasure should discourage everyone from going out a month from today and voting for him. However, do not disregard the importance of your vote; the decision to stay home and not vote at all is a vote for Trump and supports all that he stands for. For those who may be slightly disturbed by his comments, and yet refuse to consider voting for Clinton, keep in mind that Trump’s contention that a victory for Clinton means four more years of Obama. If Trump is put into office, the political and social discourse would be much more severe than any policies or actions the Obama administration has put in place over the past eight years.
When you are casting your vote next month, keep one thing in mind: Trump’s comments should not just offend you because you are a woman or have a mother, wife, sister or daughter. They should offend you because a person with a decent human core would not refer to other human beings as “pigs,” “bitches” or “fat slobs,” and these words underscore Trump’s deeply flawed character, illuminating the fact that he has no place as the leader of our country.
Leave a Reply