**Author’s note- I did a lot of research on this. I used credible news sources for everything and cross referenced articles. This is a long post. Very long. So, grab a drink and a snack. Buckle up. This shit is about to get REAL.**
Last week, 24 million viewers tuned into the Republican debate. One of the candidates being grilled was Donald Trump. Trump is known for being a smug son of bitch and he did not let his reputation down at the debate or in the week that has followed. He even made it a point to say that the other candidates should be thankful he was there - If he hadn’t been there would only have been two million viewers. Pompous? You betcha. Surprising? Not at all. Truthful? I don’t know. I would like to think where there are so many candidates vying for the Republican party's nod for President, there would be more than 2 million viewers. I am a liberal feminist douche bag, what would I know?
Fox News correspondent Megyn Kelly was one of the three moderators for the debates and the only female involved for the main debate (the secondary debate had a female candidate). While I may not agree with Kelly’s views on many things, I do respect someone who does not shy away from hard hitting questions. In all of her glory, and holy shit was it glorious, she asked Trump the question I was dying to have someone ask him:
MK- “You’ve called women you don’t like fat pigs, slobs, and disgusting animals. Your Twitter account has several--”
Here, in his infinite brilliance (please read the sarcasm), Trump raises a finger in the air to interrupt her.
DT- “Only Rosie O’Donnell.” Because, ya know, that makes it ok? Don’t fret! We’ll discuss Rosie in a bit, friends.
MK- “Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women’s looks. You once told a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect president, and how will you answer the charge from Hillary Clinton, who is likely to be the Democratic nominee, that you are part of the war on women?”
Let’s have a moment of silence to take that in.
Fucking beautiful, amirite?
This question has since been called inappropriate by Trump and his supporters. When a very public figure goes on tv, radio, and the internet to say terrible things about anyone they have to expect to be called out on it. If it was a private conversation, that is one thing. Once it is out in public it is fair play. Kelly makes a very valid point while not condemning him for his actions. She doesn't say “why are you acting like a dick to women?” She takes the high road here and asks how he will defend what he has done and said when it is attacked by the person potentially running against him. Well done, madam. You know, I too am wondering the same thing. Let’s look at his response:
DT: "I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct. I've been challenged by so many people, and I don't frankly have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn't have time either. This country is in big trouble. We don't win anymore. We lose to China. We lose to Mexico both in trade and at the border. We lose to everybody."
He continues with- "And frankly, what I say, and oftentimes it's fun, it's kidding. We have a good time. What I say is what I say. And honestly Megyn, if you don't like it, I'm sorry. I've been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me. But I wouldn't do that."
First, he deflects the question. BUT WHY END THERE? While she had the journalistic integrity to leave her personal feelings about him and his actions aside and ask an on point question, Trump turns on her. He defends his actions as fun and kidding, when in reality he attacks women who disagree with him. The cherry here is not that he defends himself. The cherry, my friends, is that thinly veiled threat at the end: I've been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me. But I wouldn't do that. Those two sentences are filled with more organic, free-range, hormone free bovine excrement than you can find on all the farms in the US combined.
Some of you may be scratching your heads and asking how that is a threat. Look at this man’s track record (or continue reading for more of his ridiculousness). Seriously. Have a few hours free this weekend? Read his twitter. Google his name. It is nauseating. For the purpose of quick explanation: he is seen as a very powerful man who has many people in his pocket, including her boss, millions of followers that I can only assume are under the Imperius curse (NERD ALERT)-many of which hold the same anti-female views as him and are not afraid to bully people online under a false sense of anonymity. In articles written since the debate, psychologists have pointed this out as a threat and have discussed how this, and other cases of his, match typical bully behavior. The man is a textbook case to study. It is fascinating and disturbing. This case doesn’t end here, though. I promise. It actually gets worse.
Not only did he call into question her ability to do her job or be professional (which, to be fair, he also pointed out the other two moderators “were not very good or professional” as well but pointed out she was the worst) and call her a bimbo, he claims he has never said the things she quoted and would have someone look into it. Naturally, he couldn’t end this fiasco without letting more woman-hating vitriol drip out of his gaping maw.
The night after the debate, while being interviewed by CNN’s Don Lemon, Trump bestows this jewel upon us: “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever.” Because women are only opinionated and slam dunk questions at debates when we are on our periods. Thanks, bro. Wait. You didn’t mean it like that? Only a deviant would think that your comment was about her menstrual cycle? Are you sure, sir? Didn’t you refer to the economy as having contractions like a pregnant woman? Then use some wording that made it sound like a miscarriage? No? Not you? Was it a different Donald Trump that said that on Howard Stern’s show? It must be a common name.
And while on the topic of Stern, Howard in his chaotic neutral way (NERD ALERT) notified Trump of an interview Kelly did 5 years ago where they discussed her breasts and sex life with her husband on the show. OUTRAGE! HOW CAN SHE CALL INTO ACCOUNT YOUR BLATANT WOMAN HATING IF SHE TALKED ABOUT THIS ON THE AIR?!?
From what I was able to find, Kelly did the show once. Trump has been on many, many times. He deflects or vaguely answers political questions but is very much into Stern's raunchier questions. If you are going on his show, you have to expect to get questions of a more lascivious nature.While she shared personal stories, Trump almost always bashes others and brags about his life. Here are some examples of the differences in how they conducted themselves on Stern's show:
Megyn Kelly
* "We used to call them 'Killer B's' then when I got pregnant they became 'Swimmin' C's' and Doug (her husband) was frolicking in the ocean."
* "I reject the hypotheticals. There's no issues there. I've never had to choose. Let's put it that way." (when asked if she would have married her husband if his penis was small)
* She also talked about having sex with her husband into her third trimester.
Donald Trump
* Plays Hot or Not with Stern, judging women's bodies: Jessica Chastain? "Certainly not hot." Halle Berry? "Beautiful. But only her upper body." J-Law? "Has a little skin problem. A little rough with the skin. I don't quite get it. Little polka-dots all over the place." J-Lo? "I really like J-Lo, but that ass is... (Stern pipes up with "scary!")" Kim Kardashian West (who was once on Celebrity Apprentice)? "Does she have a good body? No. Does she have a fat ass? Absolutely. It's record setting. In the old days, they'd say she's got a bad body." Then in a second interview she came up in: She's got a huge trunk. It's seriously big." Keria Knightly and Paris Hilton make the grade, but he had to point out that he watched Hilton's sex tape.
*He compares women to beauty queens, pointing out they are not noticeable if one is around.
*My personal favorite? "We've got to cure AIDs so then we can go back to not wearing rubbers. Those were the good old days."
On Stern's show, Trump has discussed his conquests with Stern and has used language far more lewd than Kelly but there was no backlash for him. Once her interview got brought up by Trump, his supporters went nuts. A prime example are the Shoebats from shoebat.com:
"She laughs and is okay with Stern discussing penises, breasts, in a very trashy nonchalant way (1)." They insinuate that for her claim to favor women's rights when questioning Trump's treatment is hypocritical and that she owes women an apology and that Trump owes her no apology (2). "Apologize and Let's all move on." And the piece de resistance, the magnum opus of this drivel: "What man would allow his daughter or wife to get on some public adult radio and have a sleaze bucket talk sex with them? This is not a private matter. Kelly made this public (3)."
1. Kelly's wording was light hearted and cheeky.
2. Bahahahahahahahaha. Yes. I forgot, and clearly so did she that women aren't allowed to be sexual beings unless we want to be called names and looked down on. But dudes? Hit it. Quit it. Be seen as the king of the world. So, Megyn should apologize to all women for one of the classier Stern interviews I've seen transcribed and Trump owes her no apology for the tantrum (and ensuing shit storm that followed) because....he has a dick (which I can neither confirm nor deny).
3. THIS IS 2015. 2. 0. 1. 5. WOMEN ARE STILL POSSESSIONS THAT SHOULD BE CONTROLLED BY OUR DADDIES AND HUSBANDS IF WE SHOULD BE SO LUCKY TO HAVE ONE. WE DON'T NEED FEMINISM. NOPE. EVERYTHING IS SO MUCH BETTER.
Dear Shoebats,
Fuck off.
Love,
Women everywhere
Possibly the saddest part in the Kelly/Trump ordeal is not the things he has said about her or the blatant double standard. The saddest part, and one of the most troublesome for me, is how this was handled by Fox News and their Chairman Roger Ailes. Ailes has mentored Kelly, seeing her as a touchstone for younger viewership. Once Trump's flaming bag of shit was left on Kelly's proverbial doorstep, Ailes made a terrifying decision: Fox News did not back their anchor. Out of fear (I assume fueled by the Trump/Graham incident as well as the amount of emails from pro-trump viewers) , their PR team did nothing. Ailes did nothing but grovel at Trump's feet in an effort to get back in his good graces. He followed ratings and let fear be his guide at the cost of his employee, even as much of the Fox audience turned on her. He commented he was "extremely proud of all the moderators" at the debate but left it there. The Monday morning following the debate, Ailes reached out to Trump and in an effort to smooth things over offered the candidate a chance to go head to head with the woman he threatened on her show. What were you thinking, Ailes? Does one of your news stars mean so little that you would sacrifice her comfort, credibility, and possibly her emotional well being after this hoopla? Apparently. Trump declined. Ailes offered other shows until they reached an agreement. But Trump didn't call of his war on Kelly. He reportedly called multiple times after this to tweet out that they had come to a resolution. Trump refused but finally deigned to send said tweet:
Two SHINING examples
Only when the men came to their gentleman's agreement could we point out that she is good at her job. Make waves, girl, and you will drown is the clear message here. Kelly, has since announced she is taking a vacation. While she denies it is related to this, do you blame her? She is receiving death threats and (if I know anything about the internet) I would be willing to bet she is getting rape threats that extend to her family as well. What is her response in all of this? Staying classy AF:
"I’ve decided not to respond [to those comments]. Mr. Trump is an interesting man who has captured the attention of the electorate. That’s why he’s leading in the polls. Trump, who is the front-runner, will not apologize, and I certainly will not apologize for doing good journalism. So I’ll continue doing my job without fear or favor. And Mr. Trump, I expect, will continue with what has been a successful campaign thus far.”
“This is a tough business, and it’s time now to move forward. And now, let’s get back to the news.”
Drop the mic, girl.
So, this is an isolated incident, right? The leader of the Republican polls, the guy who got the most on air time in the debate can't be like this all the time...Right? WRONG.
Trump v. O'Donnell
In 2006, Rosie O'Donnell called Trump out for his defending of then Miss USA Tara Conner (age at the time: 20). Conner was to be de-crowned for underage drinking, being found "lustily" kissing Miss Teen USA (at the time, age 18) and testing positive for cocaine, heroin, and crystal meth. Trump, reaching into the sub-cockles of his frigid heart decided not to de-crown her, citing that he had had family members addicted to drugs before and that people need second chances. Well, Trump, I guess we have something in common. And while I love those family members dearly and agree they need all the chances they can get, they weren't beauty queens under contract. She should have been de-crowned. Trump goes off the hook over this:
“Rosie O’Donnell is disgusting—both inside and out. If you take a look at her, she’s a slob. How does she even get on television?... If I were running The View, I’d fire Rosie. I’d look her right in that fat, ugly face of hers and say, ‘Rosie, you’re fired.’ We’re all a little chubby but Rosie’s just worse than most of us. But it’s not the chubbiness—Rosie is a very unattractive person, both inside and out. Rosie’s a person that’s very lucky to have her girlfriend and better be careful or I’ll send one of my friends over to pick up her girlfriend. Why would she stay with Rosie if she had another choice?”
He has been cited calling her "disgusting pig", "untalented", "less than average", "big, fat pig", and "my nice, fat, little Rosie."
Trump v. Huffington
In 2012, Trump tweets:
When asked why?
Mature.
Trump v. Hathaway
The year was 2008. Hathaway is divorcing then husband and Trump Tower resident who is being indicted for fraud. Trump gives us this beaut:
“She hasn’t remained very loyal to him, has she? So when he had plenty of money, she liked him, but then after that, not as good, right?”
In the words of Kanye: I ain't say she a gold digga, but...? (except you are)
Trump v. Collins
In a 2011 NY Times op-ed, Gail Collins referred to Trump as "a financially embattled thousandaire.". Sick burn, boo. Trump countered by sending her a copy of the column, which has a head-shot of her on it. The copy so sweetly had her face circled and "The Face of a Dog!" written on it.
Trump v. Stewart
He feels the need to comment on Kristin Stewart's break-up with Robert Pattinson in 2012:
#TeamEdward
Trump v. Jolie
Some background on Angelina Jolie's parents is needed for this one. It's quite simple: her father, actor Jon Voight, cheated on her mother and is why she divorced him in 1978. Voight and Jolie have a rocky relationship and I would assume this has a lot to do with it. Pointing out Voight's infidelity is important because defending men who cheat while degrading women who cheat (like the tweet above) is a reoccurring theme of Trump's.
In a 2006 interview on CNN's Larry King Live, Trump weighed in on the fractured relationship these two have.
"I think he's a great actor and she just treats him terribly. She's been with so many guys she makes me look like a baby, OK, with the other side. And, I just don't even find her attractive. That has nothing to do with why I said it though."
Not only did he feel the need to weigh in on another family's relationship, he tried to invalidate her by bringing up her sexual history and that he doesn't find her attractive. Which is HILARIOUS because in the same year, while on The View, he thought it would be totally rad to discuss his daughter Ivanka:
"I don't think Ivanka would do [Playboy], although she does have a very nice figure. I've said if Ivanka weren't my daughter, perhaps I'd be dating her."
That comment was totes acceptable though. *shudder*
Trump v. Trump (Ivana)
1977 was a big year for Ivana Zelnickova. She married one Donald Trump. They had 3 babes. Sunshine, rainbows, white picket fences, and a house in suburbia, right? NOPE.COM
Apparently by the late '80s, his eyes wandered to an actress/ex-Miss Hawaiian Tropic. The rest of him followed quickly, cheating on Ivana, secretly canoodling with this lady - Hold on to your seats, y'all - during church services as it was a convenient way to ditch his family and take this broad to pound town. The affair continued until '89 when the family was on vacation in Aspen for Christmas. Trump was seen with someone similar in shape and hair color to Ivana, but it was not her. Reportedly, it was the church mistress. This ordeal lead to the Trumps arguing out on the slopes.
Anyone who followed the split can tell you it was messy. The Chicago Tribune ran an article that gave readers a shocking glimpse of just what Mr. Trump was up to:
"First he briefly locked his wife, whom he used to refer to as 'my twin as a woman' out of her office at his Plaza Hotel, then he compared her to Leona Helmsley, a woman he called 'a truly evil human being.' Maybe it's a good thing they both hired -not divorce attorneys-but criminal attorneys to fight for their right to unparty."
Around this time (in 1991), Trump was quoted in Esquire saying:
"You know, it doesn't matter what [the media] write as long as you've got a young and beautiful piece of [Expletive]." Whatta guy.
In 1993, it was revealed in a book about Trump by Harry Hurt III (Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump) that Trump violently assaulted and then raped Ivana after he went to a plastic surgeon to have a scalp reduction surgery...to deal with a bald spot. It was quite painful and he was displeased with the result. Ivana had recommended the doctor. This naturally meant the blame was on her. Trump held her hands behind her back, ripped hair out of her head, ripped her clothing off, unzipped and was read to go. He raped her, a term she very rarely used when talking about the situation. This was the first time they had any kind of sex (can you even call it that? ugh.) in 16 months.
Donald always denied this ever happened. Ivana, after the divorce and dust settled, started to recant. Rape is consistently defended. If a woman is raped, she is to blame. She is not a victim in our society. Boys will be boys is an acceptable excuse rape, even if there was little more skin showing than an ankle. If a man s raped , he is ridiculed and often given the impression that he should be thankful someone was "interested." Now, if your rapist is your husband of all people, who is really going to believe or side with you given you twisted sense of victim shaming? I am wouldn't be surprised if he threatened the hell out of her too. If you are going to threaten Kelly over that question, this is far more inflammatory.
Trump v. Allred and Talackova
Jenna Talackova was disqualified from competing in a Miss Universe pageant because she was not a "naturally-born" woman (she is a transwoman). In 2012, Gloria Allred held a news conference regarding the matter. It did not matter that all of her identification, including her birth certificate, state that she is a woman. Allred pointed out Jenna never asked Trump to prove he was naturally-born a man, citing it did not matter to Jenna so why should it matter to him. The attorney also pointed out that Jenna did not ask to see Trump's penis, which makes this obsession with her genitals unfair. Unfair and unacceptable (my words there, not hers). Trump acknowledged this by calling into TMZ and saying, "I think Gloria would be very impressed with [my penis]."
Trump's Treatment of Pageant Contestants
A former Miss USA contestant released a memoir in 2009 where she discussed what is known as "The Trump Rule."Carrie Prejean explains what the girls are asked to participate in Trump's private game of Hot or Not prior to the Pageant. This flaunting in front of THE PAGEANT OWNER is degrading. She writes:
"Many of the girls found this exercise humiliating. Some of the girls were sobbing backstage after [Trump] left, devastated to have failed even before the competition really began...even those of us who were among the chosen couldn't feel very good about it-it was as though we had been stripped bare."
Trump v. Beck
While under questioning in 2011 Trump lost his mind when lawyer Elizabeth Beck asked to take a break after lengthy deposition to pump breast milk for her baby. Beck explained it was urgent and took out her pump in effort to show urgency. Beck did not use it in front of the others in the room or gesture with it. Trump's response was "You're disgusting" and he walked out of the room, ending the session. He told Beck's husband she was uptight as well as disgusting. During his testimony, he insulted and challenged her with remarks like "Do you even know what you are doing?" and noting her questions were "very stupid."
Trump's lawyer commented, never denying his client's behavior but trying to twist Beck's actions, calling her behavior bizarre and suggesting she was trying to stall and think of more questions.
Trump on Schwarzenegger's Maid and His Own Home Life
"It was hard to believe. I figured this woman with a little black dress...and I said, 'Well, I guess a thing like that could happen. And then I got to see the maid like everyone else, and I was a little surprised." He goes on to complain about his hired help because his wife hand picks what he feels are unattractive women. "They're not tens, I can tell you that. I've been very domesticated. It's a sad event."
Trump on The Apprentice
"All the women on The Apprentice flirted with me-consciously and unconsciously. That's to be expected. The early victories by women on The Apprentice were to very large extent dependent on their sex appeal. I believe we're all equal except women still have to try harder and they know it. They will do what they have to do to get the job done and will not necessarily be demure about it."
-Donald Trump, 2004's book: Trump: How to Get Rich.
Contestants have come forward to say much of the boardroom discussions were based on the looks of female contestants, even to the degree of asking the male contestants to rate the female contestants. Trump had a female contestant walk around the table in the room and twirl for him.
If that wasn't enough, there was the episode of Celebrity Apprentice where Brett Michaels was referring to a female teammate begging to be kept, to the point she got on her knees to continue begging. Trump, not missing a beat:
"Excuse me, you dropped to your knees?" The contestant, Brande Roderick replies, "yes." "It must be a pretty picture - you dropping to your knees." THE DEFINITION OF SEXUAL HARRASSMENT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
Trump v. The World By Way of Internet
Let's take a peek at how this POTUS hopeful spends his time on the internet.
Trump has a terrible habit of retweeting inappropriate things about those he is and may be running against:
Don't forget to slam that musical artist that used your name for a song:
Or to bitch about Obama:
How about some truly ridiculous bullshit about other countries? Or immigration? Trump has it for DAYS:
How about a potpourri of douche baggery? Trump is your man:
So what is the world doing about this? Other than some news outlets and writers brave enough to publish articles or call him out on tv/radio about this, mostly nothing. Many people are convinced the debate debacle was truly an isolated incident. People need to become more educated on a candidate's past before blindly following them into 4 years or Presidency.There are some that are taking the fight to the internet in a (mostly) lighthearted way.
#periodsarenotinsults is a brilliant twitter campaign where women live tweet their periods at the Trump. If they are going to bleed from their "wherevers" they might was well get to gross out Trump:
Those with pets and who are a little less confrontational can choose to "Trump" your pet.
Step 1: Brush your pet.
Step 2: Clean the fur out of the brush.
Step 3: Form hair into a terrible toupee.
Step 4: Place on your pet's head and take a picture AS FAST AS YOU CAN if they are anything like my cats.
Step 5: Post to internet with #trumpyourcat or #trumpyourdog
My babies!
Kidding aside, if nothing else - I hope your take from this a better understanding of why we need to actively participate in our elections instead of following the hive mentality. We can not afford to elect someone who will condemn more than half of our population. Get facts. Spread the word. Rise up. Make your voice be heard.
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