Mr. Write's Page

This is important. Probably not a watershed moment, but a big deal nonetheless.

I’m referring to the tide of women coming forward to report past instances of well-known men in business, politics, entertainment, and the media using their power to intimidate, harass, or assault them. Women are emboldened, and they are seizing the moment.

In our hearts, we know that most of the stories, probably all of them, are true. It’s a man’s world, and this is what some men do — what some men always have done.

Entrepreneur Malcolm Forbes said, “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” (His use of man undoubtedly means person.)

Forbes framed the point positively, referring to behavior that reveals good character. Well, it’s equally clear that men preying on women is revealing of poor character.

And character certainly is the issue here.

Most likely, none of these revelations will do much to change the behavior of the non-famous predators among us — the countless anonymous bullies and abusers who make life miserable for girlfriends, spouses, and employees.

What’s happening to Weinstein et al is progress. But is it seismic? I doubt it.

Still, it’s refreshing. And, as new names and charges surface and more melodrama is uncorked, all thoughts should turn to Donald Trump, the orange vulgarian, who has been accused of sexual predation for decades.

Trump’s deplorable character and lack of integrity are glaringly obvious, but most Republicans give him a pass. To them, he is Teflon Donald.

This is appalling, but no surprise. To the occupants of the right-wing fact-free zone, Trump is simply their guy. Go, team. To some supporters, he is innocent. To others, his behavior doesn’t matter. Either way, their fall-back position is that Trump’s accusers are liars. Better yet, paid liars.

It’s a sorry spectacle. Regardless of anyone’s perceived grievances, no matter how conservatives rationalize it, to vote for and stand by such a flawed, disreputable, unqualified person is indefensible.

Years ago, when writer Harry Hurt III was doing research for his 1993 book “Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump,” he obtained a copy of the sworn divorce deposition of Trump’s first wife, Ivana. In the deposition, Ivana claimed that in 1989, Trump “violently raped” her.

According to Hurt’s book, Trump had undergone a scalp reduction procedure to eliminate a bald spot, using a plastic surgeon recommended by Ivana. The procedure was unexpectedly painful. Hurt wrote that, in a rage, Trump tore out a handful of Ivana’s hair and forced himself on her sexually.

By the time Hurt’s book was released, Trump’s legal team had done its work. The book publisher had agreed to paste a special statement from Ivana inside every copy. The statement confirmed her claim of rape, but not in “a literal or criminal sense.” The statement read, “As a woman, I felt violated.”

Hurt contends that Ivana agreed to add the statement in exchange for finalizing the divorce settlement. She reportedly received $14 million.

According to government records, when Trump was deposed during the divorce proceedings and Ivana’s lawyers questioned him about reports of his history of adulterous relationships, he invoked his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination 100 times.

Over the years, a parade of women has come forward to accuse Trump of varying degrees of sexual advances and assaults. After some relatively easy Googling, I came up with this list.

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— Jill Harth, who worked with Trump in 1996 on a beauty pageant in Atlantic City, claimed Trump groped her under a table at a business dinner. Later, she said, he cornered her and kissed her while she was “desperately protesting.” She filed a sexual harassment suit that accused Trump of attempted rape, but, as part of the legal maneuvering, withdrew that specific claim.

— Natasha Stoynoff, a writer for People Magazine, said that when she interviewed Trump at Mar-a-Lago in 2005, he pushed her against a wall, held her there, and forcibly kissed her as she struggled. She said Trump told her they were going to have an affair. She said the attack ended when a butler entered the room.

— Temple Taggart McDowell, the 1997 Miss Utah USA, said Trump twice kissed her on the mouth, aggressively and without warning. She said a pageant chaperone advised her never to be alone with Trump.

— Rachel Crooks, a receptionist for a real estate company in Trump Tower, said she introduced herself to Trump outside an elevator in 2005. She said Trump held her hand, kissed her cheek, and, quickly and unexpectedly, kissed her on the mouth.

— Jessica Leeds, a saleswoman for a paper company, said Trump sat beside her on an airline flight in the mid-1980s. During the flight, Leeds said, he lifted the armrest, grabbed her breasts, and tried to put his hand up her skirt. “He was like an octopus,” she said.

— Mindy McGillivray said Trump came up behind her and grabbed her buttocks at Mar-a-Lago while she was working there as a photographer’s assistant in 2003..

— Kristin Anderson, a restaurant hostess, said Trump put his hand under her skirt and touched her crotch. The incident happened in the early 1990s on a couch in a crowded night club.

— Summer Zervos, a former “Apprentice” contestant, said she met with Trump in his office in 2007 to discuss job opportunities. She said he forcibly kissed her and grabbed her breasts as she tried to push him away. She filed a lawsuit.

— Jennifer Murphy, also a former “Apprentice” contestant, said Trump walked her to the elevator after an interview in 2005 and, instead of hugging her as she expected, leaned forward and kissed her on the mouth.

— Cathy Heller said she was introduced to Trump at a brunch in the late 1990s. When she extended her hand, he pulled her toward him and tried to kiss her on the mouth. She said she turned her head and pulled away, and he grew angry and said, “Oh, come on!”

— Karena Virginia, a yoga instructor, said she was waiting for a cab in New York City in 1998 when Trump walked by with a group of men. She said he told the men, “Look at those legs.” She said he approached her and grabbed her right arm, touching her breast in the process. She said Trump asked, “Don’t you know who I am?”

— Jessica Drake, described as a sex educator and a former porn star, said Trump grabbed her and kissed her “without asking permission” at a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe in 2006. She also said Trump offered her $10,000 and the use of a private plane if she would come to his room and later go to a party with him.

— Ninni Laaksonen, a former Miss Finland, said Trump grabbed her buttocks while photos were being taken of Trump and a group of beauty pageant contestants in New York in 2006.

— Cassandra Searles, a participant in the 2013 Miss USA Pageant, said Trump “lined us up so he could get a closer look at his property.”

— Kelsey Wheeler, another 2013 pageant participant, said Trump made them pose for uncomfortable photos with visiting businessmen.

— Samantha Holvey, also a pageant participant, said Trump personally inspected each girl backstage, “from head to toe, like we were just meat.” She also recalled private parties where the contestants had to mingle with “old, rich, drunk guys ogling all over us.”

— Rowanne Brewer Lane, an aspiring model, said Trump took her by the hand at a Mar-a-Lago pool party in 1990, led her upstairs, and gave her a bikini to put on. When they returned to the party, he said to the group, “That is a stunning Trump girl, isn’t it?”

— Mariah Billado, a contestant in the 1997 Miss Teen USA Pageant, said Trump walked into their dressing room while many of the teens were undressed and said, “Don’t worry, ladies, I’ve seen it all before.”

— Victoria Hughes, who was 19 during the 1997 Miss Teen USA Pageant, confirmed that Trump entered the dressing room unannounced while they were changing clothes. She said the youngest contestant in the room was 15.

— Bridget Sullivan, a contestant in the 2000 Miss USA Pageant, said Trump entered the dressing room when “we were all naked.”

— Tasha Dixon, a contestant in the 2001 Miss Teen USA Pageant, said Trump once walked unannounced into the dressing room. “There was no second to put a robe on or anything,” she said. “Some girls were topless. Other girls were naked.”

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Of that list of 21 women, the first 13 accuse Trump of being a sexual predator. The last eight accuse him of being an obnoxious creep.

Is this a complete list of the women Trump has assaulted or intimidated? I find that inconceivable.

Ironically, after I spent time assembling the above info, the Washington Post published a nice summary that would have saved me the trouble. The Post listed not only the women and their stories, but also the names and accounts of corroborating witnesses — friends and associates of the accusers in whom they confided soon after their encounters with Trump.

As you know, Trump has flatly denied all such accusations. He claims the women are lying. But, at the same time, his trademark boasting confirms some of the women’s stories.

In 2005, on The Howard Stern Show, Trump bragged about going into pageant dressing rooms without warning.

He told Stern, “No men are anywhere, and I’m allowed to go in because I’m the owner of the pageant, and therefore I’m inspecting it. ‘Is everybody okay?’ You know, they’re standing there with no clothes. ‘Is everybody okay?’ And you see these incredible-looking women, and so I sort of get away with things like that.”

Then there is the infamous “Access Hollywood” video, in which Trump proudly admitted that predatory behavior toward women is his modus operandi.

Sometimes, I get distracted by the accumulating evidence that Trump has been doing business for years with Putin and his Russian oligarch/mobster friends — which, now that Trump is President, falls somewhere between disqualifying and treasonous.

I get distracted, and I tend to focus on other matters — not just Trump’s ties to Russia, but the blatant conflicts of interest, the reckless foreign policy, the terrible people who surround him, and the damage inflicted by the loony-tunes Republicans now in charge.

I shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that, simply as a human being, Trump is loathsome, amoral, and wildly unfit to be President.

Because, fundamentally, Trump’s character — his appalling lack of positive character traits — explains everything else.