In light of the numerous women who have come forward to accuse GOP nominee Donald Trump of sexually assaulting them, many in the media have questioned why leaders of the party continue to endorse him. The National Organization for Women President Terry O’Neill appeared on Politics Nation with Al Sharpton Sunday to discuss their petition to get them to unendorse their nominee. “Are you surprised that such Republican leadership seems to be sticking with him through all of this,” inquired Sharpton.
O’Neill responded by saying she couldn’t figure it out, remarking, “If they have any integrity, they would.” She also claimed that she has been asking her staff to get into the heads of GOP leaders and learn why they won’t unendorse Trump. And according to her staff it’s because they really hate women:
And quite frankly what I'm hearing back is, “Look, these are men that already have supported viciously anti-woman policies. So maybe it is not that much of a stretch for these man--men to stand next to a man who engages in this misogynistic and assaultive behavior towards women, since Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell and Mike Pence have all promoted policies that absolutely harm women's well-being and their health and very often their very lives.”
As could be expected, Sharpton let O’Neill’s claims go unchallenged and used it to transition to slamming the GOP for a trending Twitter hashtag. “We have seen some on the right have jokingly called for the repealing of the 19th amendment which really gave women the right to vote. What do you think of all this,” he asked. “Well, I loved some of the people on the left mocking the right wing [laughing] guys saying, “Oh, no, we have to repeal the 19th amendment,”” O’Neill responded, “I hope in the next 21 days, the men of the country come to their senses and vote against Donald Trump as well.”
Transcripts below:
MSNBC's Politics Nation
October 16, 2016
8:03 a.m. EasternAL SHARPTON: Joining me now is Terry O’Neill, President of the National Organization for Women. She has end Hillary Clinton. Thanks for being here, Terry.
TERRY O’NEILL: It’s great to talk with you Reverend Al.
SHARPTON: What is your response to Trump's attacks on the integrity and the looks of his accusers?
O’NEILL: Well, you know, honestly, that's not the way to get women votes. The -- what he has done is to further and further and further alienate women voters. It was bad enough he's been running a campaign that is promoting racist and xenophobic and misogynistic policies. Now we see him as a misogynistic individual, attacking individual women, bragging about his ability to sexually assault women, and then telling Anderson cooper at the second debate that he does not understand that what he was describing was sexual assault. When, of course it was sexual assault. Now he stands accused by nearly a dozen women of exactly the same kind of assault that he bragged about to Billy Bush in the Access Hollywood video. So it is no wonder that his campaign is imploding.
SHARPTON: But while it is imploding, I want to raise another factor in this to you, Terry, because the National Organization of Women has started a petition calling on House Speaker Paul Ryan and the Senate Majority leader McConnell to unendorse him. Are you surprised that such Republican leadership seems to be sticking with him through all of this?
O’NEILL: See, I honestly, Reverend Al, I've been trying to understand why they don't unendorse him. If they have any integrity, they would. You have to ask yourself, I've been asking myself, I've been asking my NOW leaders around the country, my staff, “what is going on in the minds of Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell.” And quite frankly what I'm hearing back is, “Look, these are men that already have supported viciously anti-woman policies. So maybe it is not that much of a stretch for these man--men to stand next to a man who engages in this misogynistic and assaultive behavior towards women, since Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell and Mike Pence have all promoted policies that absolutely harm women's well-being and their health and very often their very lives.”
SHARPTON: Let me bring this up. This data. Because an election forecast shows if only women voted, Hillary Clinton would sweep the Electoral College. And if only men voted, Trump would win. We have seen some on the right have jokingly called for the repealing of the 19th amendment which really gave women the right to vote. What do you think of all this?
O’NEILL: Well, I loved some of the people on the left mocking the right wing [laughing] guys saying, “Oh, no, we have to repeal the 19th amendment.” I hope in the next 21 days, the men of the country come to their senses and vote against Donald Trump as well. And it is not just because he's a misogynist personally and has attacked -- allegedly attacked women and his defenses against it have not been credible. It is not just because his policies are viciously, as I said, racist and xenophobic and misogynistic. They should vote for Hillary Clinton because her policies will provide debt free college for our kids and our neighbors' kids. She will provide an increase in the minimum wage. She's going to shore up social security and make sure that it is there for all of us as we retire. So there is a wonderful candidate to vote for, and that is what I hope obviously the women of this country have already begun to see that and are flocking to her quite frankly and flocking away from Donald Trump. I'm hoping the men will get there.
SHARPTON: Alright, I'm going to have to leave it there. Terry O'Neill, thank you, always, for your time.
O’NEILL: Thank you.
