# Advice columnist: Trump raped me in a fitting room **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 25, 2019, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042 "2019-06-25T16:34:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2019, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/41 "2019-06-26T21:50:53Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Already quoted in post #24. … Yeah, but mine included the video (and your post left out the “You’re fascinating to talk to”), which is necessary to appreciate the total awkwardness of the situation. ---
**Author:** ![UnwittingAmericans](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d9b06d/32.png) [@UnwittingAmericans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwittingAmericans)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2019, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/42 "2019-06-26T22:20:22Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > (i.e. proof that they’re lying). Hey, at least you _ **finally** _ declared your standard out loud. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2019, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/43 "2019-06-26T22:31:17Z")
> [@UnwittingAmericans](#): > > Hey, at least you _ **finally** _ declared your standard out loud. For my own part I don’t demand _proof_ that the woman is lying, but I feel that if an impartial assessment of the facts doesn’t lend a fairly high level of doubt to the woman’s claims, they should be taken seriously. So far I haven’t heard anything that reduces the credibility of this woman’s claim. Certainly Trump’s statements on this subject have no credibility whatsoever, given what we know about him. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/44 "2019-06-27T01:06:16Z")
> [@Boycott](#): > > The thing I don’t buy is that Trump stopped her and said “hey you’re that advice lady” > > Donald Trump reads Elle Magazine? Donald Trump reads? She also had a TV show at the time. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/45 "2019-06-27T03:55:55Z")
> [@Smitty](#): > > If you believe that Donald Trump forcibly raped a woman in broad daylight in a public place and NO ONE noticed or mentioned it for 25 years, then you seriously need to take a look at yourself. I guess if someone claimed that he was actually a lizard alien from Alpha Centauri, you’d immediately buy that, too. You’re no better than the people who bought into the “Pizzagate” idiocy. > > For a place that prides itself on intelligence and “fighting ignorance”, this board is certainly full of people who will swallow the most outrageous nonsense as long at it fits their political agenda. Get back to us when somebody produces a kid claiming to have been held prisoner in the basement of a pizza joint that doesn’t even have a basement. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/46 "2019-06-27T12:17:10Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > But no part of it is fishy, as you well know. It is a believable account, by a seemingly sane person, against a man who is the subject of an unusual number of such accusations and who brags about doing it. No, it is a fishy story, as you well know. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/47 "2019-06-27T12:24:48Z")
The two women Carroll says she told about the attack at the time speak out and corroborate her story: > **[Corroborating E. Jean Carroll (Published 2019)](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/27/podcasts/the-daily/e-jean-carroll-trump-interview.html)** > > Ms. Carroll told two women that Donald Trump sexually assaulted her in the 1990s. The women went public for the first time with Megan Twohey, a New York Times reporter. This probably won’t mean anything to people who don’t particularly value fighting against sexual assault and rape (or at least don’t value it as much as fighting liberals), but I’m hopeful that I’m wrong about some of the posters in this thread and they’re just posting without thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/48 "2019-06-27T12:47:59Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I’m hopeful that I’m wrong about some of the posters in this thread and they’re just posting without thinking. Well, you know what Maya Angelou said, “when someone shows you who they are 39,000 times over the course of 19 years, believe them.” ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/49 "2019-06-27T13:08:31Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > For my own part I don’t demand _proof_ that the woman is lying, but I feel that if an impartial assessment of the facts doesn’t lend a fairly high level of doubt to the woman’s claims, they should be taken seriously. > > So far I haven’t heard anything that reduces the credibility of this woman’s claim. Certainly Trump’s statements on this subject have no credibility whatsoever, given what we know about him. And at some point, you have to ask “why didn’t this come out 20 years ago?” Hell I think he’s a pig. And I don’t like the guy. But what took her 20 frick’n years to come forward? Why now? And why has this woman been assaulted by so many men? No one is condoning rape or assault. But it’s pretty f’ing hard to prove a negative, and it’s really hard to prove a negative 20 years later. At some point, you’ve allowed your opportunity at outrage pass. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/50 "2019-06-27T13:13:50Z")
> [@spifflog](#): > > And at some point, you have to ask “why didn’t this come out 20 years ago?” > > Hell I think he’s a pig. And I don’t like the guy. But what took her 20 frick’n years to come forward? Why now? And why has this woman been assaulted by so many men? > > No one is condoning rape or assault. But it’s pretty f’ing hard to prove a negative, and it’s really hard to prove a negative 20 years later. At some point, you’ve allowed your opportunity at outrage pass. Having horrible taste in men does not excuse or give men license to be horrible. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/51 "2019-06-27T13:18:15Z")
> [@spifflog](#): > > And at some point, you have to ask “why didn’t this come out 20 years ago?” Why would you ask this? It should be very clear to you that even now, telling the authorities about rape and sexual assault is extremely dangerous for women, only occasionally resulting in a positive outcome (i.e. justice), with a very high risk of humiliation, social shaming, and further trauma. Twenty years ago it was much, much worse. And against a powerful, wealthy man? Are you joking, or were you really ignorant of this? ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/52 "2019-06-27T13:19:12Z")
> [@spifflog](#): > > And at some point, you have to ask “why didn’t this come out 20 years ago?” > > Hell I think he’s a pig. And I don’t like the guy. But what took her 20 frick’n years to come forward? Why now? And why has this woman been assaulted by so many men? > > No one is condoning rape or assault. But it’s pretty f’ing hard to prove a negative, and it’s really hard to prove a negative 20 years later. At some point, you’ve allowed your opportunity at outrage pass. For most people, and especially women, it is really hard to come out and say you’ve been sexually assaulted. Can you get your head around that? There are so many stigmas there that only the brave, the broken or the desperate come out right away and make a public claim. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/53 "2019-06-27T13:20:51Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Hate crimes happen too, but Jussie Smollet is still a liar. Everyone knows this woman’s story is fishy, even if they won’t openly admit it. Liberals just don’t care, that’s all. OK, then how about a House investigation into what is it now, all 22 credible sexual assault accusations against Trump? I’m sure you wouldn’t object to separating the wheat from the chaff. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/54 "2019-06-27T13:26:07Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > For most people, and especially women, it is really hard to come out and say you’ve been sexually assaulted. Can you get your head around that? There are so many stigmas there that only the brave, the broken or the desperate come out right away and make a public claim. This. Plus the conviction rate on rape charges is astonishingly low. Hell, the _indictment_ rate is astonishingly low. In a situation like Ms. Carroll describes, it’s her word against his - hardly a ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ level of evidence: what prosecutor is going to indict? Women _know_ this. They know that in situations like this, there will be no justice, just an adding-on to the trauma they’ve already been through. So what’s the point in coming forward, until they see their attacker becoming someone whose name they can’t avoid, reminding them all the time of what they went through? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/55 "2019-06-27T13:26:37Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > No, it is a fishy story, as you well know. I understand your emotional dedication to Trumpism, but there is no element of the story that’s hard to believe. Trumpists come in two categories; those who just engage in cognitive dissonance to pretend he’s not what he obviously is, and those who actually LIKE the fact he’s a monster - the “as long as he hurts the right people” crowd, if you will. There are no other Trumpists; all are one of those two types. But there’s no doubt at all he’s a monster; no one, save maybe his kids, _really_ believes he’s not. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/56 "2019-06-27T13:27:01Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > OK, then how about a House investigation into what is it now, all 22 credible sexual assault accusations against Trump? We only need those for consensual bj’s. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/57 "2019-06-27T13:27:46Z")
It’s so weird how posters like **Shodan** can put effort into thoughtful and reasonable posts on a variety of topics, but then something like this comes out and all he can do is mindlessly denigrate a woman for doing nothing more than talking about something that happened to her. Are you deliberately turning off a switch that turns you into knee-jerk mode? Is it really that much more important to fight liberals than to fight rape and sexual assault that you’d so gleefully abandon even the possibility of thoughtfulness and compassion towards a possible rape victim? ---
**Author:** ![LAZombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b38774/32.png) [@LAZombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LAZombie)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/58 "2019-06-27T13:36:58Z")
Like Christine Blasey Ford, E. Jean Carroll’s allegation is very vague. You know why? Because the moment she puts a specific date, Trump is going to produce evidence he wasn’t even in the area when she claims it happened. Trump was the King of New York. He every movement is probably documented in some way. Why doesn’t Ms. Carroll give a specific date? Because she is lying. “Carroll places the ensuing incident in late 1995 or early 1996, during which time Trump was married to Marla Maples.” > **[E. Jean Carroll: “Trump attacked me in the dressing room of Bergdorf Goodman.”](https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/06/president-donald-trump-faces-new-rape-accusation.html)** > > The Elle advice columnist says the assault took place in Bergdorf Goodman. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/59 "2019-06-27T13:47:28Z")
> [@LAZombie](#): > > Like Christine Blasey Ford, E. Jean Carroll’s allegation is very vague. You know why? Because the moment she puts a specific date, Trump is going to produce evidence he wasn’t even in the area when she claims it happened. Trump was the King of New York. He every movement is probably documented in some way. Why doesn’t Ms. Carroll give a specific date? Because she is lying. > > “Carroll places the ensuing incident in late 1995 or early 1996, during which time Trump was married to Marla Maples.” > [President Donald Trump Faces New Rape Accusation](http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/06/president-donald-trump-faces-new-rape-accusation.html) Sometimes things bear repeating: > [@RickJay](#): > > I understand your emotional dedication to Trumpism, but there is no element of the story that’s hard to believe. > > Trumpists come in two categories; those who just engage in cognitive dissonance to pretend he’s not what he obviously is, and those who actually LIKE the fact he’s a monster - the “as long as he hurts the right people” crowd, if you will. There are no other Trumpists; all are one of those two types. But there’s no doubt at all he’s a monster; no one, save maybe his kids, _really_ believes he’s not. Only question, **LAZombie** , is which one are you? ---
**Author:** ![LAZombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b38774/32.png) [@LAZombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LAZombie)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042/60 "2019-06-27T13:51:45Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Sometimes things bear repeating: > > Only question, **LAZombie** , is which one are you? E. Jean Carroll is an author who writes about herself constantly, but in this case, she forgot to write down the date of this horrific event? I think not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-columnist-trump-raped-me-in-a-fitting-room/836042.md?page=4)