Known for his outspokenness and his controversial remarks, Donald Trump does not lack inventiveness in denigrating and sexualizing women.
Between excessive objectifications, denigrating remarks and serious remarks, Donald Trump has always been very evocative about his “interest” in women. Surprisingly, no matter the seriousness of his statements or the accusations against him, his popularity rating remains the same according to a study Ipsos.
This impunity is illustrated in a disturbing way in the case of E. Jean Carroll, a former columnist for the American edition of Elle magazine. In May 2023, the former President of the United States was convicted of defaming and sexually assaulting the writer. In the process, The Guardian recalled how Donald Trump allowed himself to distort her statements during an interview with CNN: “In truth, she said she loved it. Ok? She loved it until the commercial break comes, he says. I even think she said it was sexy, right? She said it was sexy to be raped, right?
Comments which, according to several analyses, fit into a broader context, that of “rape culture”. Amnesty International defines this sociological concept as “a system of thought making it possible to explain, excuse or even encourage rape”. The non-profit organization adds to this definition, a survey: 27% of young people think that women do not know what they want in the sexual field: “she says no, but that means yes”. A biased vision of consent, to which Donald Trump seems to give assurance in his remarks…
“When you’re a celebrity, they let you do it”
An exchange with presenter Billy Bush, dated 2005, was unearthed in 2018 by the Washington Post. On the recording, we heard Donald Trump recount his adventures with a married woman, unreceptive to his advances. As the conversation progressed, Trump came to detail his approach technique: “I start by kissing them. They attract me like magnets. I don’t even wait, it’s just a kiss . Then, when you’re a celebrity, they let you do anything,” he emphasizes. Faced with the presenter’s non-reaction, he added: “Grab them by the pussy.”
At that time, Donald Trump had just launched his reality TV show, The Apprentice. At the height of his glory, he saw his celebrity as a vector of impunity. Noémie Renard, author of the book “Ending Rape Culture”, speaks on this subject of judicial and social impunity in an interview given to Release : “Many celebrities accused of sexual violence continue their careers: Roman Polanski accused of raping several teenage girls, Donald Trump accused of rape by several women, Patrick Bruel denounced by several beauticians for sexual harassment or assault. It is often said that the accusations can destroy careers, but that’s not really the case in practice. New response in a few hours.