COOPER: So, for the record, you’re saying you never did [the things you described in 2005]?TRUMP: I’ve said things that, frankly, you hear these things I said. And I was embarrassed by it. But I have tremendous respect for women.COOPER: Have you ever done those things?TRUMP: And women have respect for me. And I will tell you: No, I have not.
It was this back and forth that apparently encouraged some women to speak up.Obviously, the accusers’ claims and Trump’s denials will draw careful scrutiny, but purely as a political matter, I can’t think of any controversy that’s followed such an unusual trajectory:1. Trump is heard boasting on tape about groping women.2. Trump said his boasts weren’t true and that he never actually groped women.3. A variety of accusers came forward to allege they were, in fact, groped by Trump.4. Trump and his campaign insist there’s no reason to believe these women, so long as we overlook the recording of Trump’s previous comments.It’s like watching a more traditional campaign scandal play out in reverse.
