Trump mocks the 'rules of #MeToo' for stifling his speech
President Trump is ridiculing the #MeToo movement yet again.
During a rally Wednesday night, the president suggested the movement against sexual harassment and assault is preventing him from using the phrases he wants to. This came as he was talking about the fact that in 2016, he was the first Republican to win Pennsylvania in decades. Trump then suddenly interrupted himself to say that "there's an expression, but under the rules of #MeToo, I'm not allowed to use that expression anymore."
He went on to apparently self-censor by saying that for Republicans, Pennsylvania was "the person that got away" instead of what he presumably wanted to say, "the one that got away," or perhaps "the woman that got away." He added that "in the old days, [the phrase] was a little different," and he suggested he couldn't say what he wanted to because the media was there.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump has repeatedly offered criticism of the #MeToo movement, especially in light of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation process, during which Kavanaugh was accused of sexual misconduct by three women. Kavanaugh denied the allegations. The president said last week that it's a "scary time" for young men in America because a person can be accused of something and then "you're automatically guilty." Even before the Kavanaugh hearings, though, Trump was mocking the movement, such as when he derisively referred to the "#MeToo generation" in a July rally, per CNN. Watch Trump's comments below. Brendan Morrow
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Eel-egal trade: the world’s most lucrative wildlife crime?Under the Radar Trafficking of juvenile ‘glass’ eels from Europe to Asia generates up to €3bn a year but the species is on the brink of extinction
-
Political cartoons for November 2Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the 22nd amendment, homeless camps, and more
-
The dazzling coral gardens of Raja AmpatThe Week Recommends Region of Indonesia is home to perhaps the planet’s most photogenic archipelago.
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
