In a tweet, the US president has questioned whether "due process" still exists after a pair of White House staff resignations. Critics have accused the Trump administration of maintaining a "culture of misogyny."
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US President Donald Trump on Saturday lamented what he called the lack of due process for people accused of sexual misconduct and abuse after two White House staffers resigned over such claims.
"Peoples (sic) lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new," Trump said in a tweet. "There is no recovery for someone falsely accused — life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as a Due Process?"
Since The New York Times published allegations of sexual misconduct against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein in October, many other prominent US men have faced harassment allegations. DW looks at some high-profile cases.
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The case that sparked a global debate
Harvey Weinstein has been accused by dozens of women of sexual harassment or sexual assaults, including rape. Under investigation by police departments in New York, London, Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, Weinstein denies all allegations of non-consensual sex, but apologized for causing "a lot of pain." The case prompted many other women to come forward.
Image: Reuters/A. Kelly
Media men in glass houses
PBS and CBS host Charlie Rose is accused by several women of unwanted sexual advances, walking naked in front of them or making lewd phone calls. He has apologized for his behavior but questioned the accuracy of some of the allegations. Meanwhile, Journalist Mark Halperin is accused of harassing about 12 women while at ABC News.
Image: Reuters/C. Allegri
Politicians from the Republican party...
US Senate candidate Roy Moore, a Republican from Alabama, is accused of sexually assaulting two teenagers and pursuing relationships with several others decades ago, when he was in his 30s. He has denied the allegations. Former President George H.W. Bush was accused of patting seven women below the waist. The 93-year-old has issued apologies through a spokesman "to anyone he has offended."
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...and the Democrats
A senior figure in the US Democratic party, Minnesota Senator Al Franken is accused of forcibly kissing radio personality Leeann Tweeden and groping her while she slept during a 2006 tour to Afghanistan to entertain US troops. The former comedian who became a senator in 2009 has apologized, saying he felt "disgusted" with himself.
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Sexual misconduct in sports
Ex-USA gymnastics team doctor Lawrence "Larry" Nassar is accused of abusing over 100 female athletes. He pleaded guilty to multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct and could face 25 years in prison. Three of his victims were under 13 years old. Israeli IOC member Alex Gilady is accused by two women of rape and by two others of inappropriate conduct. He denies the rape accusations.
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Hollywood stars under scrutiny
Actor Kevin Spacey has been accused by at least 24 men of sexual misconduct or assault. London police are investigating two sexual assaults and he was fired from "House of Cards." Dustin Hoffman is accused by a woman of harassing her when she was 17. He has apologized for his behavior. Writer-director James Toback is accused by hundreds of women of sexual harassment. He denies the allegations.
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'Wish him well'
Earlier this week, White House staff secretary Rob Porter resigned after two of his ex-wives claimed he abused them, with one of them releasing a photo of herself with a black eye.
"We certainly wish him well, and it's a tough time for him," said Trump. "He did a very good job when he was in the White House. And we hope he has a wonderful career and he will have a great career ahead of him." In his statement, Trump did not mention Porter's ex-wives or the accusations they made.
Meanwhile, White House speechwriter David Sorensen resigned on Friday after his ex-wife told The Washington Post newspaper that he threw her against a wall, grabbed her by the hair and put out a cigarette on her hand during their marriage. Both Porter and Sorensen have denied abusing women. Sorensen told the Post he quit because he "didn't want the White House to deal with this distraction."
Rob Porter's ex-wife accuser him of abusing her throughout their marriageImage: Getty Images/AFP/N. Kamm
What the Trump organization knew
Accusations of sexual assault and abuse against Trump — who has denied allegations of sexual misconduct from more than a dozen women — and those who surround him stretch back to before he took office. A recording of Trump boasting about sexually assaulting women emerged during the 2016 presidential election campaign. He called it "locker room talk" and a "smear campaign."
Steve Bannon, who worked on Trump's campaign and later served in the White House as chief strategist, faced misdemeanor charges in 1996 for domestic abuse that were dropped when Bannon's accuser did not testify, though she later said Bannon had threatened her. Trump's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, was arrested after grabbing a female reporter though, despite a video of the incident, prosecutors said there was not enough evidence for a trial.
The #MeToo movement has called attention to widespread sexual violence faced by women in all walks of lifeImage: DW/R. Kalus
'Culture of misogyny'
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly knew of the allegations against Porter, but claimed that "every individual deserves the right to defend their reputation."
Trump's defense of Porter and Kelly's failure to further investigate the allegations prompted Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez to decry the White House's "culture of misogyny."
The US National Coalition against Domestic Violence (NCADV) said it was "disturbed" by Kelly's inaction after being made aware of the abuse.
"Domestic abuse is a very serious and violent crime. People who serve in positions of power, such as Chief of Staff Kelly, have a responsibility to be role model for this nation and should be enforcing zero tolerance for abuse rather than ignoring it," NCADV said in a statement published Friday.
"Abuse is a choice, and it is imperative that we as a society hold abuses accountable for their dangerous and criminal actions. Otherwise, victims and survivors of violence will remain unsafe, will continue to be silenced, will continue to be trapped, and all-too-often, killed by their abusers."
Trump: Mogul, populist, president
Already a real estate magnate, best-selling author and reality TV star, Donald Trump is about to become the 45th US president. Often regarded as an outlandish, comic figure, Trump will soon move into the White House.
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The family, the empire
Surrounded by the ones he loves, Donald Trump with his wife, Melania, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, his sons Eric and Donald, Jr., and grandchildren Kai and Donald John III. His three eldest children are senior vice presidents in the Trump organization.
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From millionaire to billionaire
This picture from 1984 shows Trump opening Harrah's at Trump Plaza, a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It's one of the investments that helped turn Trump, already a millionaire thanks to cash from his father, into a billionaire.
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Off to a good start
Trump inherited the money he used to launch his real estate empire from his father, Frederick. He gave his son a million dollars to start and then, upon his death, left Donald and his three siblings $400 million.
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What's in a name? Billions.
Donald Trump aggressively invested the money and experienced the market's highs and lows. Long-term success came thanks to Trump Tower in New York City. Trump has said he's worth some $10 billion, but he has not released financial information to prove the claim. Experts estimate he's worth about a third of that.
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"Very good, very smart"
That's what Trump had to say about himself. He studied at the renowned Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a bachelor's degree.
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Captain Trump
Before college, Trump was sent to a military academy at the age of 13 to learn discipline. By the time he graduated, he had earned an officer's rank at the academy. During his campaign for president, he said he enjoyed the school's structure and military culture.
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Heel spurs instead of Vietnam
Despite the military education, Trump did not serve in the Vietnam War. He received four deferments while studying and a fifth for bone spurs in his heels. Trump will be the first US president to enter the White House without having previously served in a public office or the military.
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Wife number one: Ivana
In 1977, Trump married Ivana Zelnuickova of what was then Czechoslovakia. The pair had three children together, Donald John, Jr., Ivanka Marie and Eric Fredrick. The marriage, however, was plagued with rumors of extra-marital affairs and ended in 1990. Ivana was the one who created Trump's nickname "The Donald."
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Family number two
Trump later married his second wife, Marla Maples. Maples gave birth to their daughter Tiffany in 1993.
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Girls, girls, girls
Trump seemed to enjoy being photographed with women other than his wife by his side. He often visited beauty pageants and posed with young models. From 1996 to 2015, he owned part of all the Miss Universe pageants. Trump would later come under fire for an audio recording of him saying his fame allowed him to grope women without fearing consequences.
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The Art of the Deal
How do you make a quick million? Trump's best-seller "The Art of the Deal," which was part autobiography, part instruction manual for ambitious businessmen, tried to show readers the way. Already well-known, the book solidified Trump's spot in the public spotlight.
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Mixing business and entertainment
Like no other, Trump knew how to grab the public's attention, as seen here in a show for "World Wrestling Entertainment." His unique blend of business and entertainment acumen met in the reality TV show "The Apprentice" where candidates were hired and fired. Trump's favorite line from the show: "You're fired!"
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Trump's move into politics
Though he had previously had very little contact with governing or politics, Trump announced his presidential candidacy on July 16, 2015. He used "Make America Great Again" as a political slogan and during his election campaign insulted immigrants, Muslims, women and everyone running against him.
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Off to Washington
Whether the showman morphs into a statesman will be seen over Trump's four years in the White House. Views are split as he prepares to take office. But if his life so far is anything to go by, there is no telling what will be next.
