Trump accuser to speak about #MeToo movement

Trump accuser to speak about #MeToo movement

Rachel Crooks, one of 19 women who has publicly accused President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE of sexual assault, will speak at an event on Tuesday about the “Me Too” movement and its relationship to politics.

Crooks, a candidate for the Ohio state legislature, accused Trump in 2016 of forcibly kissing her more than a decade ago. She will speak at the Washington, D.C., event on July 24 alongside other young female candidates for state office.

The panelists will include “progressive female candidates from battleground states — including survivors of sexual assault and harassment,” according to the event’s press release.

ADVERTISEMENT

The National Press Club is hosting the women in conjunction with People For the American Way’s Next Up Victory Fund, a project that helps progressive candidates under 40 running in local and state elections.

Other panelists will include Anna Eskamani, a candidate for the Florida statehouse; Katie Muth, a candidate for the Pennsylvania state Senate; and Myya Jones, a candidate for the Michigan statehouse. 

The women are slated to discuss their own stories of sexual harassment and how these experiences prompted them to get into politics.

At least 19 women during the presidential campaign accused Trump of sexual assault, but their allegations were largely swept under the rug. Trump has denied the accusations. 

Crooks has said the inaction following her accusation against Trump prompted her to get into politics.

“I think [many] view me running as part of the anti-Trump movement that they want to support,” Crooks told The New York Times after her primary win in May. 

The “Me Too” movement against sexual assault last year prompted a powerful cultural reckoning in which women across diverse industries told their stories about sexual harassment in the workplace. The movement has resulted in dozens of powerful men being ousted from their positions in the media, politics, Hollywood and more. 

Crooks and the other candidates will discuss “the future of politics under a president with a record of discrediting women,” according to the press release.