A majority of Americans say President Trump should resign over allegations of his sexual misconduct.
According to a Public Policy Poll released Thursday, 53 percent of those surveyed said that Trump should resign over the allegations of 19 women who say he sexually harassed them. Only 42 percent believe Trump should say in office.
Fifty-three percent of respondents said they believed the women accusing Trump, while 31 percent did not.
Trump has denied the accusations, and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has stated the official position of the White House is that the women are lying.
In recent weeks, the #MeToo movement has gathered steam, forcing the resignations and removals of prominent men across a swath of industries. In recent weeks, it has reached Washington, with prominent Democrats Sen. Al Franken and Rep. John Conyers resigning over harassment allegations. Last week, Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) quit after it was reported that he offered employees money to bear his child. Today, Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX) resigned after harassment allegations came to light. Roy Moore lost Tuesday’s special election for a Senate seat from Alabama, hounded by reports that he molested underage girls. The wave has left activists wondering when repercussions would reach the Oval Office.
This week, Trump’s lawyers asked a New York State Supreme Court judge to spike a defamation lawsuit against Trump related to sexual misconduct. Summer Zervos, a former contestant on The Apprentice, alleged that Trump groped her during her time on the show. Trump denied this on the campaign trail, leading Zervos to sue Trump for defaming her.
On Tuesday, three women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct told their stories on NBC’s “Megyn Kelly Today,” drawing record ratings.
Trump calls the allegations fake news and a political ploy by Democrats. “Despite thousands of hours wasted and many millions of dollars spent, the Democrats have been unable to show any collusion with Russia – so now they are moving on to the false accusations and fabricated stories of women who I don’t know and/or have never met,” Trump tweeted. “FAKE NEWS!”
