Trump’s Attack On Kavanaugh Accuser Sparks New Twitter Movement
Twitter exploded with the WhyIDidntReport hashtag on Friday, a direct response to a tweet Donald Trump posted earlier in the day.
I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 21, 2018
“I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents,” Trump tweeted.
This sparked a huge reaction on the social media site, where users began sharing their personal stories through the WhyIDidntReport hashtag. Not reporting sexual assault is actually more common than reporting it, according to Time.
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network says that two out of every three cases of sexual assault are not reported to officials. There are many reasons why, as Donald Trump learned today after the Twitter explosion that sparked the hashtag.
Alyssa Milano responded directly to Donald Trump in a passionate tweet where she shared the information that she has been sexually assaulted.
“Once when I was a teenager,” she tweeted. “I never filed a police report.”
She was not the only celebrity to use the hashtag to sound off on the issue.
I did, it didn’t matter, I was dismissed, disparaged, & I still get blamed #WhyIDidntReport
— Daryl Hannah (@dhlovelife) September 21, 2018
Ashley Judd took to Twitter later to talk about sexual assaults in her life. More and more women began to share their stories as the day wore on, including actress Daryl Hannah.
“I did, it didn’t matter, I was dismissed, disparaged, & I still get blamed,” she tweeted.
The hashtag WhyIDidntReport became one of the top hashtags worldwide for the day, according to Deadline. The hashtag prompted an outpouring of support for women who have experienced sexual assault, including Christine Blasey Ford. Thousands used the hashtag to share their personal stories, and answer Trump’s question about why they didn’t report what happened to them.
Christine Blasey Ford has accused Donald Trump’s Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanaugh, of sexually assaulting her decades ago at a party that both attended as teenagers. She is slated to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week and provide her testimony of the events. Kavanaugh has denied all allegations of assault.
After publicly accusing Kavanaugh of sexual assault, Ford received a number of death threats. She and her lawyer have stated that she will only testify if conditions are safe for her to do so.
Kavanaugh answered questions about the assault earlier this week in a private, closed session at the White House. He is also expected to testify in the hearing scheduled for next week, the date of which continues to remain uncertain as the Judiciary Committee and counsel representing Ford discuss the details.
