Sex assault allegations: Trump plays ‘victim’

Washington, Oct 15 (IANS) Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has described himself a "victim" as more women came forward accusing him of sexual assault and harassment.

"As you have seen, I am a victim of one of the great political smear campaigns in the history of our country," CNN quoted Trump as saying on Friday at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"They are coming after me to try and destroy what is considered by even them as the greatest movement in history."

The billionaire said it was "all false stuff" and there was a "concerted effort" to take down his campaign. "My people always say, ‘Don’t talk about it, talk about jobs, talk about the economy’," Trump told his supporters.

"But I feel I have to talk about it because you have to dispute when somebody says something."

Trump on Friday forcefully denied the allegations that he kissed and groped several women without their consent — actions he had bragged about being able to do in a 2005 video revealed by the Washington Post ahead of the second presidential debate recently.

According to him, if just a sliver of voters believe those allegations which he describes as just the "locker room talk", he will lose the election.

"If five per cent of the people think it’s true — and maybe 10 per cent — we don’t win," Trump said.

The comments came less than two hours after two women alleged Trump groped them without their consent.

One of the women was former "Apprentice" contestant Summer Zervos.

Trump disputed the account of the other woman, Kristin Anderson, calling her story "nonsense" and "false", arguing that he rarely sits alone, even though the lady never claimed the Republican was sitting alone at the time of the incident.

He also asked his supporters to boycott People magazine after a reporter alleged Trump began kissing her without her consent in 2005 when the two were alone for an interview at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

"I think maybe what we should do, boycott that issue of People magazine," he said in Charlotte.

Trump also accused his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton of "character assassination", saying that it was the former State Department Secretary’s "specialty".

"She’s been doing it her whole career. The only force strong enough to smash Clinton’s corrupt criminal syndicate is you, the American voter, November 8."

Trump said the allegations were part of a global conspiracy by the "establishment" — including the media and powerful special interests — to defeat his campaign.

"The whole thing is one big fix. It’s one big fix. It’s one big ugly lie. It’s one big fix. The press can’t write the kind of things they write, which are lies, lies, lies," Trump said.

As he continued to deny the allegations, several of his supporters shouted back: "We believe you!"