Ivanka Trump defends Donald against accusations of sexism: 'He's not a groper'
CBS This Morning
Ivanka Trump defended her father on Wednesday against a New York Times story that detailed extensive allegations of workplace sexism.
In an interview with CBS that aired Wednesday, Trump said she found the Times report "disturbing" and challenged a claim that the real-estate mogul, who is now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, groped one of his employees.
"I'm not in every interaction my father has, but he's not a groper," Trump said. "That's not who he is."
In the Times report, a female employee who worked with Donald Trump at an Atlantic City beauty pageant described a "very traumatic incident" during which, she said, the mogul groped her under a dinner table.
In Wednesday's interview, saying her father had "total respect for women," Ivanka Trump reiterated the Trump campaign's assertion that he promoted women in the workplace at a time when it was uncommon.
"There was no trend toward equality in real estate back in the 1980s," Ivanka Trump said. "And he was doing it because he believes ultimately in merit."
Still, The Times reported the alleged groping incident as one of many "unsettling" interactions Trump had with women.
Many of the subjects involved in a New York Times investigation described the former reality-television star's habit of commenting on women's bodies and what some described as "unwelcome" romantic advances, which some said occasionally occurred in the workplace. Others, however, praised the businessman for nurturing of the careers of women within his real-estate business.
Though the Trump campaign has attempted to discredit the Times report, many of the real-estate magnate's opponents believe his public statements about women alone are enough to turn voters off. Throughout the 2016 race, Trump has maintained the lowest favorability ratings among female voters of any major 2016 presidential candidate.
On Monday, a super PAC backing Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton unleashed its first major ad campaign aimed at Trump.
One of its spots prominently featured Trump's past comments on women's bodies. They included his assertion that "a person who is flat-chested is very hard to be a 10," as well as his judgment that reality-television star Kim Kardashian does not have a good body but "absolutely" has a "fat a--."
Watch part of the Ivanka Trump interview below:
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