Speed Reads

Quotables

Donald Trump accuses Bill Clinton of 'rape' on Fox News

Donald Trump has been hitting back at a long Sunday New York Times article on his private behavior with women, pointing to one of the women interviewed, Rowanne Brewer Lane, who said she was misrepresented in the exposé. He continued on Wednesday night's Hannity, with an assist from host Sean Hannity. "For example, I looked at The New York Times," Hannity said. "Are they going to interview Juanita Broaddrick? Are they going to interview Paula Jones? Are they going to interview Kathleen Willey?" The Times article was "about exposure," he added. "In another case, it's about groping and fondling and touching against a woman's will."

"And rape," Trump added. "And rape," Hannity said. Trump then brought up Clinton's impeachment and settlement with Paul Jones. The rape accusation was a reference to Broaddrick, who went public in 1999 with her accusation that Bill Clinton assaulted her in 1978. You can read Broaddrick's 1999 account of the alleged incident, why she denied it for 21 years, and Clinton's response through his lawyer ("absolutely false") at The New York Times, plus a look back at how the media landscape has changed in 17 years ("Never homogenous, the national press is divided in ever-smaller slivers, with smaller outlets on the internet and cable television sometimes overwhelming the slower and more sober judgments of mainstream news organizations"). You can watch the Trump interview below. Peter Weber