California GOP recall candidate once called Trump’s sexual assault allegations “child’s play”

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Larry Elder, the conservative talk radio host who currently leads the Republicans squad in hopes of toppling California Gov. Gavin Newsom (R) in a recall election next month, tried to put a little distance between him and Donald Trump.

Elder recently upset some Trump supporters when he said Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election “in a fair and frank manner.” And last week Elder fired CNN host Michael Smerconish after calling him “a radio host and lawyer supporting Trump.”

Elder said he hasn’t voted for a Democrat since Jimmy Carter, a vote he regrets.

“I am a Republican and I have always voted a Republican. So calling me a radio host supporting Trump is a little unfair, that’s my opinion, that’s it, ”he said.

But in 2017, Elder refused to condemn Trump when he faced allegations of sexual misconduct from more than a dozen women.

Elder compared the allegations Trump faced with those made against former film producer Harvey Weinstein. At the time, as ThinkProgress noted, Weinstein faced 39 charges of sexual harassment and assault, with several women claiming he raped them.

“Oh, for yelling out loud,” Elder said during an appearance on “Fox & Friends” in October 2017. “Harvey Weinstein has now had, I think, over 30 charges of sexual assault, including five rape charges Everything Donald Trump has done is a cinch about that.

Elder has a very disturbing view of “child’s play”. And just because someone isn’t accused of assaulting as many women as Weinstein doesn’t mean the charges aren’t serious.

Here are some comments from women who had come forward to accuse Trump at the time of Elder’s remarks:

“I pushed his chest to put some space between us, and I said, ‘Come on man, be realistic.’ He repeated my words to me, “get real” as he began to dig in his genitals. He tried to kiss me again with my hands still on his chest, and I said, man, you’re tripping right now, trying to make it clear that I wasn’t interested.

“According to Ms. [Jessica] Leeds, Mr. Trump grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hand on her skirt. “He was like an octopus,” she said. “His hands were everywhere. She fled in the back of the plane. “It was an assault,” she said.

“Trump closed the door behind us. I turned around, and within seconds he was pushing me against the wall and forcing his tongue down my throat.

“He would stand in front of every girl and look at you from head to toe as if we were just meat, we were just sex objects, we weren’t people.”

“He kissed me directly on the lips. I thought, ‘Oh my God, disgusting.’ “

“It was a very good boost. More than one take. It was pretty close to the center of my butt. I was surprised. I jumped.”

As ThinkProgress noted at the time, Elder also claimed that Trump “did not admit to being a sexual assailant at all,” even though he had. In 2016, the Washington Post published the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape, an audio clip from 2005 where Trump bragged about assaulting women.

“You know, I’m automatically drawn to beauties – I’m just starting to kiss them. It’s like a magnet, ”he said in this recording. “Just kiss. I’m not even waiting.

“And when you’re a star, they let you go,” he continued. “You can do anything … Grab ’em by the p *** y.”

California voters will decide whether to recall Newsom on September 14. They will be asked two questions: do they want to call Newsom back? And if he is recalled, who do they want to take his place?

If a majority of voters are in favor of Newsom’s recall, the candidate with the most votes will replace him, regardless of his small share of the vote.

With more than 40 candidates vying to become the next governor, it is possible that Newsom will be replaced by someone who receives far fewer votes than him.

On Thursday, Biden released a statement urging Californians to keep Newsom. He and Vice President Kamala Harris, who previously served as a US senator in the state, plan to play an “active role” in fighting the recall attempt.

The race has huge stakes for national politics and Biden’s agenda. Democrats only have a one-vote majority in the Senate, and the governor of California has the option of appointing a senator if there is a vacancy.

Special attention was paid to the seat of 88-year-old Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) And whether she might retire early or not be able to fulfill her current term. . If a Republican becomes governor and appoints a senator to take Feinstein’s seat, that would tip the scales in the Senate.

Need help? Visit the RAINN National Sexual Assault Helpline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center website.

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