Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:21 pm
Trump promised, at a West Palm Beach rally also full of Nazi rhetoric and dangerous attacks on the free press, that,
“We already have substantial evidence to dispute these lies, and it will be made public in an appropriate way and at an appropriate time — very soon.”
Remember when Trump promised us he has secret proof that Obama’s birth certificate was “a fraud”? He didn’t, as he has now admitted by claiming to have put to rest the birther conspiracy. Or having a secret plan to defeat ISIS? He doesn’t.
Mike Pence got into the act as well, saying Friday morning that, “Stay tuned. I know there’s more information that’s going to be coming out that will back his claim that this is all categorically false.”
Well, allegedly, the Trump campaign has provided the proof. A man named Anthony Gilberthorpe, who is British, and who claims to have been on the same flight as Donald Trump and Jessica Leeds in 1980, when she says he groped her. “He was like an octopus,” she told The New York Times. “His hands were everywhere.”
Gilberthorpe told his story to the New York Post. Leeds had said there was a man sitting across the aisle. Gilberthorpe is apparently claiming to be that man. He says it was Leeds who was flirting with Trump. Before Trump fans get too excited, they need to stop and think about what just took place.
Newsweek‘s Kurt Eichenwald pointed out a couple of problems with Trump’s witness – admitting there is a witness. Remember, all Trump has said so far in his own defense was that Leeds was not attractive enough for him to sexually assault: “Man…you don’t know…That would not be my first choice”
First, there is this:
Trump offers "witness" who says Trump was on plane beside woman who says she was assaulted. 1st element of allegation confirmed. Not smart.
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) October 14, 2016
And that means,
Whether Trump's witness proves to be a nut or not, Trump just confessed he was on that plane beside that woman by putting the man forward.
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) October 14, 2016
If that wasn’t bad enough, it turns out that Trump’s witness is as much of a con man as Trump himself. In other words, it gets much, much worse – for Donald Trump.
As Think Progress has pointed out, not only is it his word against her’s at this point, but Gilberthorpe is not a credible witness, given his penchant for, well…making things up. “Gilberthorpe is, by all accounts, a serial fableist.”
Like Trump, in fact. And certainly no character witness.
According to Think Progress,
In 1987, for example, he told newspapers in England that he was engaged to fashion designer in California named Miss Leah Bergdorf-Hunt. “Both our families are delighted,” he told The Gloucester Express. It was later revealed that he was not engaged. Also there was no Miss Bergdorf-Hunt. He invented the whole thing.
So to be clear: while Gilberthorpe remembers Leeds flirting with Trump, he also remembers being engaged to a woman who never existed.
As recently as 2014, Gilberthorpe alleged he was “paid to recruit underage rent boys for orgies attended by ministers from Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet.” But he had no evidence and never produced any beyond what the Post calls “his self-described excellent memory.”
In fact, just about all Trump has accomplished is admitted he was on the plane with Jessica Leeds and seated beside her, exactly like she said. So now Trump has helpfully placed himself at the scene of the alleged sexual assault, and has provided a witness in his defense who makes things up.
Not the best of scenarios for Donald Trump. Not quite the evidence of his innocence that he promised. But then, Donald Trump has never delivered on his promises. Ask anyone to whom he has owed money.
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