It was only a matter of time before Presidential Nominee Donald Trump chimed in on Roger Ailes’ (and by extension FOX’s) recent headlines. The notoriously conservative news network said goodbye to longtime chief Roger Ailes after multiple allegations of him sexually harassing anchors and other employees surfaced. The accusations are still under review and investigation by parent company 21st Century Fox, which is owned by close The Donald’s friend Rupert Murdoch, but that didn’t stop Trump from sharing his opinions on the situation and on what could be motivating the women at FOX to be accusing Ailes of such things.
Last week he told Chuck Todd,
Some of the women that are complaining, I know how much he’s helped them…And when they write books….and say wonderful things about him….[N]ow, all of a sudden, they’re saying these horrible things about him.
Setting aside the point that women who are harassed in workplaces often cannot speak out for fear of losing their jobs or being blacklisted industry-wide regardless of their career field, Trump also fails to recognize that what people write in books isn’t always the truth. For better or for worse.
When questioned about his comments by Kirsten Powers of USA Today, Trump didn’t let up on his misguided opinions. Powers asked Trump what he would want his daughter to do if she were harassed in the workplace and he naively answered “I would like to think she would find another career or find another company if that was the case.” As most people understand, that isn’t possible for the majority of women who are harassed at the office whether by a superior or a colleague at the same level.
But of course Trump doesn’t understand most people. Ivanka might be able to drop one job and choose another based on how a boss treats her, but that doesn’t apply to others in the same situation.
(via USA Today)