• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Leadership

Here’s What Donald Trump Really Said About the Women Who Accused Him of Sexual Assault

By
Melissa Chan
Melissa Chan
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Melissa Chan
Melissa Chan
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 19, 2016, 10:30 PM ET
Final Presidential Debate Between Hillary Clinton And Donald Trump Held In Las Vegas
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump listens to Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speak during the third U.S. presidential debate at the Thomas & Mack Center on October 19, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Win McNamee—Getty Images

Donald Trump insisted during the final presidential debate that he never insulted the women who accused him of sexual misconduct by saying they were not attractive enough to be assaulted.

Trump denied having made the comments after Hillary Clinton brought up his recent reaction to the accusations at a campaign rally last week in North Carolina. “I did not say that,” Trump repeated three times during the debate Wednesday night. Here’s what he said during the rally:

—“When you looked at that horrible woman last night, you said I don’t think so. I don’t think so.”

—“She’s right, she’s a liar. She is a liar. She’s writing a story — check our her Facebook page, you’ll understand.”

—“Believe me, she would not be my first choice, that I can tell you. Man. You don’t know. That would not be my first choice.”

Trump did not mention any of the accusers by name at Wednesday’s debate, but he did allude to certain details in their groping stories, including an alleged attack on an airplane and inside a club.

About the Author
By Melissa Chan
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Bambas
LawSocial Media
22-year-old Australian TikToker raises $1.7 million for 88-year-old Michigan grocer after chance encounter weeks earlier
By Ed White and The Associated PressDecember 6, 2025
4 hours ago
AITech
Nvidia’s CEO says AI adoption will be gradual, but when it does hit, we may all end up making robot clothing
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezDecember 6, 2025
6 hours ago
Timm Chiusano
Successcreator economy
After he ‘fired himself’ from a Fortune 100 job that paid up to $800k, the ‘Mister Rogers’ of Corporate America shows Gen Z how to handle toxic bosses
By Jessica CoacciDecember 6, 2025
7 hours ago
Mark Zuckerberg laughs during his 2017 Harvard commencement speech
SuccessMark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg says the ‘most important thing’ he built at Harvard was a prank website: ‘Without Facemash I wouldn’t have met Priscilla’
By Dave SmithDecember 6, 2025
8 hours ago
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
By Fortune EditorsDecember 5, 2025
1 day ago
Construction workers are getting a salary bump for working on data center projects during the AI boom.
AIU.S. economy
Construction workers are earning up to 30% more and some are nabbing six-figure salaries in the data center boom
By Nino PaoliDecember 5, 2025
1 day ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Two months into the new fiscal year and the U.S. government is already spending more than $10 billion a week servicing national debt
By Eleanor PringleDecember 4, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
‘Godfather of AI’ says Bill Gates and Elon Musk are right about the future of work—but he predicts mass unemployment is on its way
By Preston ForeDecember 4, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admits he works 7 days a week, including holidays, in a constant 'state of anxiety' out of fear of going bankrupt
By Jessica CoacciDecember 4, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook for the metaverse. Four years and $70 billion in losses later, he’s moving on
By Eva RoytburgDecember 5, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nearly 4 million new manufacturing jobs are coming to America as boomers retire—but it's the one trade job Gen Z doesn't want
By Emma BurleighDecember 4, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
‘There is no Mamdani effect’: Manhattan luxury home sales surge after mayoral election, undercutting predictions of doom and escape to Florida
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 4, 2025
2 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.