The fallout from Harvey Weinstein being outed as a sexual predator has been more explosive than anyone could have predicted. More than two dozen other high-profile men have been accused of misdeeds, a fact that is both uplifting (women are speaking out, and action is being taken) as it is depressing (is anyone not terrible?). But one accused predator has been notably immune to the consequences that so many others have been forced to reckon with: Donald Trump.
Numerous women have accused Trump of assault, which is hardly surprising given everything we know about him. But according to People, some of those women are understandably distressed by how little impact their stories have had.
“Things just seem to fall off of Trump, I’m extremely disappointed,” said Jessica Leeds, who alleged that Trump tried to touch her breasts and put his hand up her skirt while they were seatmates on a flight in the early ’80s.
Some of his accusers are hopeful that his downfall is imminent, despite the fact that the infamous Hollywood Access tape, in which Trump bragged about grabbing women’s genitals, didn’t stop Americans from voting for him.
As Melinda McGillivray, who said Trump grabbed her rear end at an event at Mar-a-Lago in 2003, told the magazine:
“It’s disturbing,” McGillivray says in a text, “that many of Trump’s diehard supporters are so stubborn that they can’t seem to come to terms with the reality that their president is just as guilty as Roy Moore.”
Still, there remains at least one powerful, bright-burning ray of hope for those seeking vindication, and that is a lawsuit filed by former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos, who said Trump forcibly kissed her on the lips when she was on the show in 2007. Zervos is suing Trump for defamation after he released a statement claiming her allegations were false, and also served him a subpoena as part of the proceedings, requesting all documents from his campaign pertaining to ‘any woman alleging that Donald J. Trump touched her inappropriately.’ The judge in the case is expected to decide before the end of the year whether to move forward with the lawsuit.
“I feel this issue has been ‘on hold’ all year, but not forgotten,” said Natasha Stoynoff, who said that Trump shoved her against a wall and forced his tongue down her throat in 2005.
“It’s been simmering on the stove with the lid on, like a pressure cooker. But now the heat’s on and it’s going to boil and the lid is going to blast off.”
