Bill Clinton's Accusers Were Used as Props by Trump

After an 11-year-old video surfaced on Friday of Donald Trump speaking about women in sexually aggressive terms, the Republican presidential candidate did what many thought he might: He made Bill Clinton's sexual history and alleged crimes part of the 2016 presidential race.

Donald Trump invited Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broaddrick, Paula Jones, and Kathy Shelton -- three women who accused Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct and one whose accused rapist was represented by Hillary Clinton in court -- to a press conference preceding Sunday's presidential debate in St. Louis; shortly afterward, three of the women appeared in the front row of the debate audience to show support for Trump. If Trump's intentions concerning the four women were morally murky before, they became even more so after a 1998 video appeared online late Sunday night in which the GOP candidate called Jones "a loser."

At the press conference, Trump and the women struggled to explain how their experiences with Bill Clinton related to his wife's presidential aspirations. Only two of the women directly addressed Hillary Clinton's alleged misdeeds, and one was Shelton, who believes Clinton "was laughing on tape" about her client passing a polygraph test. The idea of Clinton making light of her client's crime or Shelton's experiences has been widely debunked.

Broaddrick, who claims Bill Clinton raped her in 1978, said, "Hi. I'm Juanita Broaddrick. And I'm here to support Donald Trump. I tweeted recently -- and Mr. Trump retweeted it -- that actions speak louder than words. Mr. Trump may have said some bad words, but Bill Clinton raped me and Hillary Clinton threatened me. I don't think there's any comparison."

At the debate, when confronted about the 2005 video where he discussed grabbing a woman's genitals without her consent, Trump went for the kill.

"If you look at Bill Clinton, far worse. Mine are words, and his was action. His was what he's done to women. There's never been anybody in the history of politics in this nation that's been so abusive to women. So you can say any way you want to say it, but Bill Clinton was abusive to women.

"Hillary Clinton attacked those same women and attacked them viciously. Four of them here tonight. One of the women, who is a wonderful woman, at 12 years old, was raped at 12. Her client she represented got him off, and she's seen laughing on two separate occasions, laughing at the girl who was raped. Kathy Shelton, that young woman is here with us tonight.

"So don't tell me about words. I am absolutely -- I apologize for those words. But it is things that people say. But what President Clinton did, he was impeached, he lost his license to practice law. He had to pay an $850,000 fine to one of the women. Paula Jones, who's also here tonight.

"And I will tell you that when Hillary brings up a point like that and she talks about words that I said 11 years ago, I think it's disgraceful, and I think she should be ashamed of herself, if you want to know the truth."

Trump had an opportunity to discuss why he brought the women to St. Louis and possibly why those who claim to be victims of sexual misconduct should always be heard. He could have made an entreaty to the American public that all men, including himself, have to be better to women. Trump could have at least said the names of the four women he was referring to (though only three were actually at the debate). Instead, he used their experiences for himself, saying, in effect, "Bill Clinton is worse! Hillary's worse! Google all these women to read all their lurid claims!"

Trump, accused of rape himself, has rarely demonstrated concern for women or their issues. But now he's deeply concerned with the women who allege mistreatment by his opponent's spouse? Trump does not have the best interest of Willey, Broaddrick, Jones, or Shelton in mind. Don't believe me? Just go to the tape.

NEAL BROVERMAN is the executive editor of The Advocate. Follow him on Twitter @nbroverman.