President Donald Trump has been accused by 16 women of sexual assault and/or harassment. On Monday, three of those women chose to speak out again, hoping that the recent shift in the social climate would amplify their voices and effect change. Samantha Holvey, Jessica Leeds, and Rachel Crooks spoke at a news conference in New York, organized by Brave New Films, to revisit their allegations in the hopes of reminding the country of Trump’s indiscretions and pushing Congress to take action.
Reporter: Are the three of you asking for a congressional investigation and from what committees?
Holvey: They have investigated other congress members, so I only think it stands fair that @POTUS be investigated as well. https://t.co/YIAlEa4GvC pic.twitter.com/TcGreRQiQH— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 11, 2017
“They have investigated other Congress members, so I only think it stands fair that he be investigated as well,” Holvey, a former Miss USA contestant stated at the news conference. But Holvey went on to make an important distinction about this issue: “I think also a nonpartisan investigation is very important, not just for him but for anybody that has allegations against them. This isn’t a partisan issue — this is how women are treated every day.”
“About 12 years ago, as a young receptionist in Trump Tower, I was forcibly kissed by Mr. Trump during our first introduction… in an encounter that has since impacted my life well beyond the initial occurrence,” Rachel Crooks says of @POTUS https://t.co/YIAlEa4GvC pic.twitter.com/0ag1qysbPR
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 11, 2017
The three women also went onto NBC’s “Megyn Kelly Today” show and discussed how difficult it was to see their abuser make it into the Oval Office despite their very public accusations against him. “I put myself out there for the entire world, and nobody cared,” Holvey said on the show. Trump has consistently denied all of the women’s accusations, stating that he doesn’t know and/or hasn’t met any of the women, despite many of them having had jobs or positions that involved direct contact with Trump. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders repeated that sentiment later Monday afternoon, telling reporters the president denied all the charges against him. “The American people knew this and voted for the president and we feel like we’re ready to move forward,” Sanders said of the accusations. She added: “The president has firsthand knowledge on what he did and didn’t do.”
WATCH: “He held onto my hand and he kept kissing me”- Trump accuser Rachel Cooks on #MegynTODAY pic.twitter.com/jZYQU18RMc
— Megyn Kelly TODAY (@MegynTODAY) December 11, 2017
Whisperings of the women only speaking out for fame were also disputed at the news conference. “None of us want this attention,” Leeds said. “None of us are comfortable with it. … But this is important, so when asked, we speak out.” What is the ultimate motivation for these women to bring their allegations to the forefront again? The hope that this time it’ll be different. The country’s atmosphere — and response to alleged sexual misconduct — has definitely shifted over the last year. These women hope that with so many more women speaking, and more importantly being believed, their stories will be heard this time around.
“Let’s try round two,” Holvey said. “The environment’s different, let’s try again.”