Donald Trump Creepily Told Models to 'Drop' Their Gowns While Ex-Wife Ivana Watched, Claims Book
Trigger Warning: This article contains themes of sexual assault that some readers may find distressing.
The world of high fashion has always been difficult, and the book titled All The President's Women: Donald Trump and the Making of a Predator, brings to light some disturbing allegations about Donald Trump's past encounters with models. NaKina Carr, one such former model, recounted a bizarre incident that she witnessed at an Oscar de la Renta show during the early '80s. With his then-pregnant wife Ivana Trump by his side and watching, Donald apparently made an audacious decision as he barged into the dressing room and urged the models, "OK now ladies, drop 'em," referring to their gowns.
The book doesn't just stop at that one story; it reveals there were 43 additional claims made against Donald, bringing the total to 67, with 26 involving allegations of unwanted sexual contact. Besides all this, Miss Utah USA 1997 finalist Temple Taggart also remembered one awkward time when Donald pecked a kiss on her lips. She has described it to NBC, labeling it disturbing and completely out of place.
This was not a single event; at every level of interaction with women, Donald seemed to objectify and control them. Even his peers labeled him during his days at New York Military Academy as a 'ladies' man.' As time went by, he went ahead to his own beauty pageants, and during rehearsals, he would reportedly gather the contestants and basically judge them based solely on their appearance. He treated them as if they were just categories of beauty, according to Carrie Prejean, another contestant. The authors also claimed that Donald had a particular 'predilection for young models,' as per Newsweek.
Behind these allegations lies a complex societal backdrop. Donald had a lot of power in the cutthroat world of modeling and real estate. Many women felt it was impossible to speak up against his actions, as it could translate to them losing big opportunities that touch on their careers.
One of Donald's construction managers was Barbara Res, who later reflected on where some of his attitudes may have begun. According to him, Fred Trump, Donald's father, didn't feel that women had any professional skills per se. That dynamic may have impacted the president-elect well outside of the boardroom. Model Rowanne Brewer Lane, who dated Donald during the early 1990s, described how sometimes even their personal relationship was exactly like that. She remembered being spotlighted by Donald at a Mar-a-Lago pool party and being introduced to other people. According to her, he treated and introduced her more like an object than a real person, as per The New York Times.
If you are being subjected to sexual assault, or know of anyone who is, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673).
