Former Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina on Sunday said “every woman I know” was the victim of sexual harassment and blasted President Trump’s support for Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, who has been accused of sexual impropriety, as politically motivated.
Asked on “Fox News Sunday” if she had ever been the victim of sexual harassment, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard said, “Of course I was.”
“Every woman I know was. I don’t mean I’ve been raped or assaulted in some of the ways these woman have. But was I groped by a friend of my family’s? Of course. Was I propositioned? Of course. Was I introduced as a bimbo? Of course. Did I have, on occasion, men banging on my hotel room door and then lying about it the next morning. Of course. This is common occurrence, unfortunately, ” said Fiorina.
She said despite numerous women coming forward recently to accuse politicians, celebrities and media figures of sexual misconduct, the harassment won’t stop until men stop tolerating other men’s behavior.
“Men need to decide (that) ‘I’m not going to respect a man who disrespects women. I’m going to withhold my respect from him unless he respects others.’ That will be a watershed moment, ” she said on Fox.
Questioned about Trump’s backing of Moore, the Alabama Republican accused by nine women of sexually harassing them during the late 1970s, Fiorina said it’s all about the president protecting his legislative agenda.
“This is all about politics. That’s why when politicians talk about this, it doesn’t have a lot of credibility, ” she said, adding: “Donald Trump cares about a vote in the Senate no more, no less.”
The president and GOP senators face a crucial vote this week on the Republican-backed tax reform plan, which Trump has said he wants passed by Christmas.
If Moore’s Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, wins the Senate seat in the Dec. 12 election, he could jeopardize the tax plan in the chamber, where Republicans hold a tight 52-48 majority.
She gave Trump, who during the presidential campaign made remarks about her appearance, a failing grade on his ability to lead the country.
“He won’t be the first president to fail the test of leadership and he won’t be the last, unfortunately,” she said.
Trump, in an interview with Rolling Stone in September 2015, said, “Look at that face,” when Fiorina appeared on TV. “Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president.”