'The voters decided' is no way to defend Trump on sexual misconduct allegations - By Jennifer Rubin

‘The voters decided’ is no way to defend Trump on sexual misconduct allegations

By Jennifer Rubin December 19 at 2:20 PM

The standard-fare excuse — because what else is there to say? — for keeping President Trump in office (and presumably endorsing him again in 2020) is that the voters “decided” this in 2016. Maybe someone should ask the voters. Actually, the Quinnipiac University poll did:

Fifty percent of American voters, including 59 percent of women and 41 percent of men, say President Donald Trump should resign because of sexual allegations against him.

Calling for President Trump’s resignation are Democrats 85 – 12 percent and independent voters 52 – 44 percent, Republicans say 92 – 7 percent that he should not resign. American voters say 66 – 30 percent, including 73 – 25 percent among women and 59 – 36 percent among men, that Trump does not respect women as much as he respects men.

That’s an awful lot of people who think his alleged conduct — based on what they know now — is enough to disqualify him from office. (Trump won only 46 percent of the vote, you may recall.) If these accusers were given a forum — in court or in a congressional hearing — that number could change significantly.

There have always been several flaws in the “voters decided” defense, starting with some voters’ lack of focus on the issue or uncertainty about the extent of the claims. In any case, what voters once thought doesn’t absolve pols from saying what they think — especially about Trump standing for office in the future. Many Republicans, for example, voiced the view that Roy Moore was unfit and said they’d have moved to expel him from the Senate in defiance of Alabama voters’ wishes. Where’s their verdict on Trump going forward? Moreover, what’s their explanation for supporting Trump even after the “Access Hollywood” tape? If voters think enablers of sexual abusers should be held to account, they’ll have their chance.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/12/19/the-voters-decided-is-no-way-to-defend-trump-on-sexual-misconduct-allegations