Donald Trump was in a room full of Irish reporters while placing a call to their newly elected Irish leader Leo Varadkar when Irish reporter Caitriona Perry seems to have caught his eye.
What followed was
awkward for everybody in the room, especially the deeply confused reporter.
Despite being married to his third
wife and at that very moment awaiting a phone call with world leader,
Trump decided it would be a good time to flirt with Perry.
First, picking her out of the sea of reporters,
he tells her to come closer.
Then he asks what outlet she works for, and while she answers, he talks over her saying “we have beautiful Irish press.”
When the moment descends into awkward silence,
Trump tells her she has a “nice smile.”
Perry laughs uncomfortably. The rest of us cringe.
On Twitter, Perry herself
posted the video, describing it as a “bizarre moment.”
Caitriona Perry ✔@CaitrionaPerryVideo of the bizarre moment when President @realDonaldTrump called me over during his call with Taoiseach @campaignforLeo Varadkar. @rtenews
Sadly, for Americans, the moment is painfully real.
Trump, by his own admission, boasted that he likes exploiting
his celebrity status to come on to women – even if they say no.
Shortly before the election, over a dozen women came forward to
describe times he inappropriately touched or harassed them.
Trump has also been known
to target reporters with sexual advances.
During the election, People magazine reporter Natasha
Stoynoff documented the time she says Trump assaulted her while his
wife was in the house.
Since the election, many
of the people who voted for him despite the allegations justified doing so by
saying his alleged victims were making it all up.
But his continued behavior is troubling.
To watch Trump come on to Perry so brazenly only seems to
reinforce the idea that he has crossed the line with other women.
The cameras were rolling, there was a room full of people, and
this is how he behaves?
Author Jameson
Parker covers US
politics, social justice issues, and other current events which aren't getting
the attention they deserve. Feel free to follow or drop me a line on twitter.