Juanita Broaddrick, the woman who accused former President Bill Clinton of rape, is reticent to say she believed the allegations of sexual misconduct leveled at President Trump, but slammed Hillary Clinton for intimidating her into remaining silent.
Broaddrick was met by a mixed response when she came forward in 1999, claiming she had been sexually assaulted by then-Arkansas Attorney General Bill Clinton in a Little Rock hotel in 1978.
But, in the wake of accusations made against powerful men like Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and Rep. John Conyers, D-Mi., high-profile figures — including comedian Chelsea Handler — now say they believe Broaddrick’s version of events.
Broaddrick, however, stopped short of saying whether she believed the multiple women who accused Trump of sexual harassment or assault in the lead-up to the 2016 election.
“I don’t think it’s ever too late to say you believe me,” Broaddrick said. “But the coming days and months will tell us if they’re sincere.”
“I felt sorry for them,” Broaddrick added. “I felt like they had a right to be heard. But I also felt at the same time that they should bear investigation, scrutiny and vetting. I think it’s only fair for all parties involved.”
She further alleged that Hillary Clinton once cornered her at a political rally at the time and thanked her for not speaking publicly about her experience.
She alleged that all of the culture around sexual misconduct can be laid at Hillary Clinton’s feet.
“I think if she had been more responsible with her response to his behavior years ago, we would not be faced today with these accusations, which are a result of this permissive society we have experienced for the last two decades,” Broaddrick told Newsweek in an interview published Friday. “Hillary Clinton is ultimately responsible for what we’re going through now.”
Broaddrick appeared on a panel with other Bill Clinton accusers before the second presidential debate between President Trump and Hillary Clinton in October 2016.
