Yet another woman has come forward to accuse Donald Trump of sexual misconduct. But because she’s an adult film actress, Fox News host Brit Hume suggested it was no biggie. The internet did not take it well.
Variety explains the latest accusation against Trump:
Jessica Drake, an adult film performer for Wicked Pictures, appeared on Saturday with attorney Gloria Allred. She said that she met Trump ten years ago at a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Calif.
She said Trump invited her to his suite after the tournament, and she went with some women friends. When they arrived, she said, he grabbed each of them tightly and kissed them. After they left him, one of his representatives called to invite her to his room alone, but she said she declined.
Then Trump himself called and asked, “What do you want? How much?” After she declined his invite, he eventually offered her $10,000, she said.
On Saturday evening, Hume tweeted:
Woman who has sex on camera for $ says Trump propositioned her. "This is not acceptable behavior." Please. https://t.co/EpQ04PcuTO
— Brit Hume (@brithume) October 23, 2016
Quite a Twitter storm ensued. It included an extended back and forth between Hume and The Daily Beast editor, Jason Miller. Hume tried to defend himself by tweeting:
2 be clear, don't think Jessica Drake's line of work makes it ok to kiss her w/o consent. But don't buy her claim of offense at proposition.
— Brit Hume (@brithume) October 23, 2016
Hume is suggesting that while it was not “OK” for Trump to kiss Drake without her consent, his proposition to pay her for sex, after she had already declined, was somehow insignificant or at least less disturbing because, in Hume’s words, she “has sex on camera for $.”
But really, it’s not about Drake’s reaction but Trump’s bad behavior. He's the one running for president. Funny how Hume homed in on his skepticism over Drake taking offense and not Trump’s sexual misconduct. Nor, as Think Progress’ Judd Legum noted in his tweeted response, the fact that Trump was married when he behaved this way.
I’m not in the habit of citing The Right Scoop. But Soopermexican made a good point when he or she wrote:
No wonder no one at Fox News noticed that Roger Ailes was harassing everyone in sight. They seem to have a “Mad Men” mentality towards women. I understand that it’s ironic to see a porn star moralizing about Trump, but if her account is true, then it’s a problem for Trump, who keeps claiming he never harassed anyone.
Bingo.
It should not be a big surprise that Hume would react this way. He also attacked former Fox host Gretchen Carlson after she accused Ailes of sexual harassment.
Here's another suggestion. Why didn't she quit & sue instead of suing only after she got fired? https://t.co/8GPKprxxsT
— Brit Hume (@brithume) July 7, 2016
After Ailes resigned in disgrace from Fox News, Hume said, “I’m absolutely heartbroken that all this happened. I love the guy, and I love working for him.”
Media Matters notes that Hume has “a long history of using his national platform to downplay sexual assault.”
Will Hume address this on his On The Record show Monday night? Stay tuned.
(Hume image via screengrab)
I’m not judging the veracity of Drake’s account but I don’t see how coming forward about Trump helps her with Proposition 60.
Also, even if she’s lying, it doesn’t make Hume’s tweet any better, IMO. He didn’t accuse her of lying about what happened, just about being offended at Trump’s behavior. Which is really beside the point.
Thank you for the tip. I’ll check it Monday. I just didn’t have the time today.
Trump sucks and undoubtedly has harassed/assaulted women, but Drake is the one riding on Nov. 7 here. I am skeptical of this one.
That having been said — how many Faux Nooz women have sold their bodies for a shot at fame? How many women have sold their bodies to tRump for a better job or access to something “yuuuge?”
My point is — this is a slippery slope that Hume is approaching … unless he can PROVE his own wife is in it really for the love.
That having been said, even if a woman is a street corner prostitute — if she says “no” then that means “no.”
Curse this non-editor.