Trump blasts ‘rigged’ election, dismisses accusers

A defiant Donald Trump marched a group of pink-clad “Women for Trump” to the stage of the Charlotte Convention Center Friday night, his response to the litany of sexual harassment allegations leveled at the Republican nominee.

“I am a victim of one of the great political smear campaigns in the history of our country,” Trump told more than 5,000 supporters. “The political establishment is trying to stop us because they know we are going to stop the corruption in government. No one is more corrupt than crooked Hillary.”

Supporters erupted in boos when warmup speakers mentioned the media and “weak-kneed Republicans” who have abandoned the GOP nominee. And at the mention of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, they broke into chants of “Lock her up! Lock her up!”

Earlier in Greensboro, Trump ridiculed allegations of sexual assault as “lies and smears.” He mocked the looks of some of his accusers, and even of Clinton.

“It’s a phony deal; I have no idea who these women are,” he said. Referring to one of those accusers, he said, “When you look at that horrible woman (on TV) last night, I don’t think so.”

In Charlotte, Trump blamed Clinton and the media for sexual allegations that he said are “100 percent false” and with “not a shred of evidence.”

“When the media does what they’re doing now, they’re rigging the system, folks,” he said. “They’re very dishonest people.”

Trump’s N.C. appearances ended a week rocked by controversy.

Last Friday, a 2005 video emerged that showed him making vulgar and lewd comments about women and boasting that he grabbed them because he was “a star.” This week, several women came forward claiming they were assaulted by Trump. He has denied it.

“I like those signs, ‘Women for Trump,’ ” he said of the pink signs waving above the Charlotte crowd. “I actually think I’m doing well with women.”

Some Trump supporters are skeptical of the allegations.

“I think it’s odd they came out a month before the election when they said it happened 30, 40-some years ago,” said Mark Small of Archdale.

During a rambling speech, Trump appeared relaxed and energized by the Charlotte crowd, despite interruptions when first the teleprompter and then a speaker stopped working. “Who the hell runs this place?” he asked.

Familiar themes

Much of Trump’s nearly hour-long speech turned to familiar themes, from repeal of Obamacare to punishing companies that send jobs overseas. Trump called Clinton “unfit to be president” because of her bad judgment.

Trump quickly ran through promises to raise incomes, lower taxes, repeal trade deals, stem the tide of refugees and illegal immigrants. “Build the wall!” the crowd chanted. “Build the wall!”

He promised to repeal the North America Free Trade Agreement that former President Bill Clinton signed in 1994, saying it would bring back jobs. He vowed to punish companies who move production out of the country and cut jobs.

“You’ve got to go see them, you’ve got to cajole, you’ve got to be nice,” Trump said. “And if it doesn’t work, we’ll tax the hell out of them when they bring their products back to the U.S.”

Trump promised to replace Obamacare with a cheaper version with higher-quality medical care and to wipe away the “hell” of crime and poverty of inner cities. “Inner cities are a passion of mine. I’m good at fixing things, especially real estate,” he said.

He vowed to improve medical services for veterans, end the flow of drugs into the U.S. and upgrade military infrastructure. He predicted a “big beautiful door” open for legal immigrants.

“Vote for Trump,” he said. “We’re going to fix it.”

‘Lies and smears’

In Greensboro, Trump ridiculed the appearance of some accusers. Referring to a woman who said he groped her on an airplane, he said, “Believe me, she would not be my first choice.”

In a statement released Friday afternoon, Trump’s campaign said he vaguely remembers one of his accusers, former “Apprentice” contestant Summer Zervos, but denies groping her at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2007 as she has claimed.

“That is not who I am as a person, and it is not how I’ve conducted my life. In fact, Ms. Zervos continued to contact me for help, emailing my office on April 14 of this year asking that I visit her restaurant in California,” the statement said.

Trump blamed the media for “creating a theater of absurdity that threatens to tear our democratic process apart and poison the minds of the American public.”

Trump has also rejected the claim by a People magazine writer who said that during a 2005 interview session at Trump’s Florida estate, he pushed her against a wall and kissed her.

“Why didn’t she put it in the story?” he said. “She’s a liar. Check out her Facebook page and you’ll understand.”

And alluding to Clinton during last week’s debate, he said, “When she walked in front of me, believe me I wasn’t impressed.”

Before the Charlotte rally, Trump attended a 5 p.m. fundraiser at Weddington’s Longview country club that one organizer said was expected to raise $1 million.

Shrinking battlefields

Trump’s visits also come amid signs of a shrinking battlefield. NBC News reported that his campaign is pulling out of Virginia, with North Carolina joining Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida as one of four remaining battlegrounds.

Trump and Clinton are locked in a tight race in the Tar Heel State, with Clinton leading by 2.9 points in RealClear Politics’ polling average.

Earlier Friday, President Barack Obama unleashed a blistering attack on him in Cleveland, saying the Republican candidate “lacks the basic honesty that a president needs.”

“Donald Trump’s closing argument is: What do you have to lose?” Obama told the Ohio crowd. “The answer is everything.”

In a statement Friday, N.C. Democratic chair Patsy Keever called Trump a “misogynist creep.”

“This is wrong and outrageous and should have been the end of Trump’s campaign,” she said. “Any candidate who holds these disgusting views is unfit to lead our nation.”

Lara Trump announced to the Charlotte crowd that the GOP presidential candidate had donated $30,000 worth of supplies and food “and sent us to help” victims of Hurricane Matthew in eastern North Carolina.

The biggest applause of the night may have been when Trump promised to “protect your Second Amendment.” He said gun rights were “under siege,” pointed to his endorsement from the National Rifle Association and added, “If Hillary gets in, forget it.”

This story was originally published October 14, 2016 at 7:03 PM with the headline "Trump blasts ‘rigged’ election, dismisses accusers."