Donald Trump’s history of sexual misconduct is once again being spotlighted, this time through a full-page ad in The New York Times organized by the “Survivors for Kamala” coalition. This group, composed of over 200 survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, along with their allies—including celebrities, advocates, and seven of Trump’s accusers—came together to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris while reminding the public of Trump’s legal history as an abuser.
The ad, according to a press release, emphasizes that Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, is a “legally recognized abuser.” Among the notable signatories of the letter accompanying the ad are survivors and prominent figures such as Natasha Stoynoff, Samantha Holvey, Anita Hill, Hadley Duvall, Alva Johnson, Tarana Burke, Padma Lakshmi, Viola Davis, and Busy Philipps. Organizations backing the letter include the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Survivors in Action, Survivors 4 Harris, Care in Action, and Survivor Justice Action.
Here’s the ad:
Tarana Burke, activist and founder of the Me Too movement, was one of several speakers who raised their voices during an October 21 Zoom call to support the effort. Burke also took to Instagram to amplify the message of the ad and the coalition’s mission. She wrote,
“Today, survivors of sexual and gender-based violence from across the country came together to make it clear that a Trump presidency is dangerous and specifically further endangers the lives of so many of us who have already endured enormous traumas.”
Burke continued, “With just about two weeks away from the election, we wanted to be clear what’s at stake for those of us living with the reality of sexual and gender-based violence day in and day out.”
Former New York state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, another signatory, expressed her pride in supporting the letter in a tweet, encouraging others to explore the website and learn more about the cause.
The ad is a bipartisan effort, uniting progressives, liberals, and Republicans in a common goal to hold Trump accountable for his history of sexual violence. It serves as a public condemnation of his actions and policies, which, the letter argues, normalize sexual violence.
“A second Trump term would pose multiple dangers to our democracy—not least of which is the dangerous daily message it would send, through his presence and his policies, that sexual violence or abuse of any kind is normal, unavoidable, and something the American people should accept,” the letter states.
At least 26 women have publicly accused Trump of various crimes, ranging from assault to rape. In 2023, a New York jury found him liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996.
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