“This Is Not About Policy”: 2 Senators Call for Trump’s Resignation Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Last week, we saw the resignation of Sen. Al Franken, Rep. John Conyers (who was facing claims of misconduct but cited health issues), and Rep. Trent Franks which brought us to the question: Why is Trump, who’s been publicly accused of sexual misconduct by 19 women and has bragged about assault on tape, still in office?
The answer is that there is no good reason, a fact that two Democratic senators pointed out when calling for his resignation over the weekend. New Jersey Democratic Senator Cory Booker called for Donald Trump’s resignation on Saturday during a campaign appearance in Alabama for candidate Doug Jones.
“I just watched Sen. Al Franken do the honorable thing and resign from his office”, said Booker to VICE News. “My question is, why isn’t Donald Trump doing the same thing — who has more serious allegations against him, with more women who have come forward. The fact pattern on him is far more damning than the fact pattern on Al Franken.”
Booker also spoke out against Roy Moore, the racist/homophobic/hateful Republican Alabama candidate currently facing allegations that he harassed and pursued (read: groomed/assaulted) teenage girls when he was twice their age. Trump has come out in public support of Moore despite these claims and Moore’s bigoted views (like that time he said families were “united” during slavery). “Why hasn’t Donald Trump come forward and said, ‘You know what, in this climate, at this point in this country, I’m going to resign from my position just like Al Franken”, said Booker.
Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon shared the same thoughts in a fundraising email, where he said, “I want to be absolutely clear. Donald Trump should resign the presidency. At least 17 women have accused Donald Trump of horrific sexual misconduct, and I believe them. Moreover, he’s bragged on tape about that behavior. This is not about politics. This is not about policy. I disagree with him on many things, but this is not about that.”
It’s understandable that Merkley doesn’t get the number quite right—you see, that number only keeps growing. Fox News anchor and radio host Juliet Huddy only joined that list last Thursday when she described Trump trying to kiss her in an elevator, an encounter that he would later joke about on The Morning Show With Mike and Juliet. How many more women have stories they haven’t shared?
Not holding men in power accountable sends the message that harassment is excusable, rather than a disqualifier. Sexual harassment and misconduct, as Merkley says, is a non-partisan issue. We hope that more people in office will join Booker and Merkley in calling for Trump’s resignation.
(via The Slot, image via kellybdc on Flickr)
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