HUH? WH Press Sec Says Trump’s Sexual Abuse Shouldn’t Be Investigated Because He Denies It

The more Donald Trump and his flagrantly dishonest administration diverge from reality, the harder it is for them to maintain any semblance of coherence. Their lies just keep getting more absurd, which requires ever more ludicrous justifications and defenses. That state of affairs was perfectly illustrated Friday morning when Trump’s press secretary, Sarah Huckabee-Sanders, was asked to comment about the allegations against Sen. Al Franken.

Sarah Huckabee-Sanders

The question put to Huckabee-Sanders sought an explanation for why Trump’s history of sexual harassment and abuse should be dismissed while Franken is being subjected to harsh criticism from all sides. After all, There is just one accuser against Franken, but at least sixteen against Trump. [See all sixteen in this moving video that features Trump’s victims in their own words]. What’s more, the allegations against Franken are closer to bad humor and disrespect than to harassment. The incidents described occurred in public with witnesses and clear, but misguided, comedic intentions. Actual sexual abusers generally seek out privacy to commit their heinous acts.

Trump has been uncharacteristically silent with regard to the allegations against Republican senate candidate Roy Moore. The White House said that he doesn’t have time to respond to every news item. But that excuse didn’t seem to apply when it came to Franken. Trump managed to find the time to tweet this:

Let’s set aside Trump’s typically infantile name-calling, his misspelling of “Frankenstein,” and his baseless assumptions about additional photos. The fact that he could post this message despite his own repugnant record of gross, and potentially criminal, behavior, shows astonishing hypocrisy and self-deception. And that psychological impairment appears to be contagious. Take, for instance, this exchange during Friday’s White House press briefing (video below):

Reporter: If it’s fair to investigate Al Franken in the allegation made by his accuser, is it also fair to investigate this president and the allegations of sexual misconduct made against him by more than a dozen women?
Huckabee-Sanders: Look, I think that this was covered pretty extensively during the campaign. We addressed that then. The American people, I think, spoke very loud and clear when they elected this president.
Reporter: But how is this different?
Huckabee-Sanders: I think in one case specifically, Sen. Franken has admitted wrongdoing and the President hasn’t. I think that’s a very clear distinction.

Indeed, that’s a very clear distinction. But not in the way she thinks. The fact that Franken has admitted wrongdoing and apologized makes the need for an investigation less imperative. Why probe something that isn’t in dispute? Conversely, Trump’s stubborn denials and attacks on his accusers should make an investigation necessary to resolve the discrepancies between Trump’s version of events and those of the sixteen women he allegedly abused. In effect, Huckabee-Sanders just made the case for initiating an investigation of Trump. Thanks, Sarah.

And just for the record, the American people spoke very loud and clear when they gave Hillary Clinton three million more votes than Trump got. And his approval ratings from day one of his presidency have been historically low. Polls even show that a plurality of voters favor impeaching Trump. So there’s that.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.