Trump accused of groping women 'like an octopus'

The New York Times interviewed two women who accused Donald Trump of inappropriate behavior towards them, one of whom said he groped her "like an octopus."

Jessica Leeds. Photo: New York Times

At the second presidential debate, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump asserted that he had never behaved inappropriately towards women. However, at least two women refuted his firm claim in interviews published today by the New York Times.

Jessica Leeds, 74, from Manhattan, said she "wanted to punch the TV screen" when she heard Trump speak.

Ms. Leeds recounted that over 30 years ago, during a business trip, she sat next to Mr. Trump in first class on a flight to New York. They had never met before. About 45 minutes after takeoff, Mr. Trump suddenly lifted the partition between their seats and began groping her.

According to Ms. Leeds, Mr. Trump then tried to grope her breasts and put his hand up her dress. "He was like an octopus," she described. "His hands were everywhere." Leeds had to move to the back of the plane. "It was a real assault," she said.

Mrs. Leeds in 1978. Photo: New York Times

Rachel Crooks, who lives in Ohio, can't forget her first meeting with Mr. Trump 11 years ago when she was 22. At the time, Crooks was a receptionist at Bayrock Group, a real estate investment and development company that rented office space in Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York.

One time in an elevator, Crooks ran into Trump and greeted him, knowing her company had business dealings with him. But the American billionaire wouldn't let her go; he started kissing her on the cheek and then "kissed her straight on the lips," Crooks recounted, adding that it wasn't accidental but an act of violence.

"It was wrong," Crooks expressed. "I felt angry because he thought I was some kind of lowlife and could do that to me."

However, Trump denied all the information from the New York Times. "That never happened," he yelled at the reporter who asked the question. Trump claimed the newspaper had fabricated the story to harm him and threatened to sue if it published an article about it.

Donald Trump is facing a storm of criticism after a 2005 video surfaced showing him using vulgar language about women. Following the incident, a number of Republican officials, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, have announced they are withdrawing their support for the New York tycoon.

Donald Trump in his youth. Photo: Ozy

According to VNE