‘His Hands Were All Over Me’: Two Women Tell New York Times Trump Touched Them Inappropriately

Both Describe Actions That Can Be Called Sexual Assault

Two women have told The New York Times that some years ago Donald Trump touched them inappropriately, the Times reports in a just-published article. The Republican presidential nominee’s denial that his description of his actions in a 2005 video that shook his campaign late last week were sexual assault, and his denial that he has sexually assaulted any women brought them forward.

“He was like an octopus,” Jessica Leeds, now 74, told the Times, describing a plane ride about three decades ago she had during which she was seated next to Trump. “His hands were everywhere.”

“It was an assault,” Leeds says, saying, in the video above, Trump put his hands up her skirt.

Another woman, Rachel Crooks, tells The New York Times that in 2005 – the same year Trump was recorded in the “Access Hollywood” video describing actions that are sexual assault – she was a 22-year-old receptionist at a company in Trump Tower.

“Aware that her company did business with Mr. Trump, she turned and introduced herself,” the Times article states. “They shook hands, but Mr. Trump would not let go, she said. Instead, he began kissing her cheeks. Then, she said, he ‘kissed me directly on the mouth.'”

It didn’t feel like an accident, she said. It felt like a violation.

“It was so inappropriate,” Ms. Crooks recalled in an interview. “I was so upset that he thought I was so insignificant that he could do that.”

Crooks immediately called her sister, who told the Times her sister was “very worked up about it.”

“Being from a town of 1,600 people, being naïve,” Crooks’ sister says, “I was like ‘Are you sure he didn’t just miss trying to kiss you on the cheek?’”

She said, ‘No, he kissed me on the mouth.’ I was like, ‘That is not normal.’”

The Times contacted Trump before publishing the story.

“None of this ever took place,” Trump told the newspaper, which describes him as “highly agitated” and “shouting at The Times reporter who was questioning him.”

He said that The Times was making up the allegations to hurt him and that he would sue the news organization if it reported them.

“You are a disgusting human being,” he told the reporter as she questioned him about the women’s claims.

The article itself also discusses the impact Trump’s alleged actions had on each of them, including the pain recent revelations have caused them, and caused them to have to relive the events.

“People should know,” Leeds says of Trump, “this behavior is pervasive and it is real.”