As the 2024 presidential election nears, another accusation has surfaced against former President Donald Trump, this time from Stacey Williams, a former model and Democrat activist. Williams, who has ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, claims that Trump behaved inappropriately toward her in 1993, alleging that he groped her during a visit to Trump Tower.
The allegations come from an incident Williams claims occurred 31 years ago. According to her account, she met Trump in 1992 through Epstein, and the following year, while visiting Trump Tower, Trump allegedly groped her.
“He pulled me toward him and started groping me,” she stated in an interview first reported by The Guardian. She further described Trump’s unwanted advances, claiming he touched her breasts, waist, and buttocks, while she stood frozen. Williams also said that both Epstein and Trump exchanged smiles during the encounter, suggesting complicity between the two men.
This latest accusation has garnered significant media attention, especially as it comes only two weeks before the election. However, the timeline of Williams’ story has been called into question, leading many to doubt her account.
Williams alleges that she and Epstein were walking near Epstein’s brownstone on the Upper East Side of Manhattan when they decided to stop by Trump Tower. The problem with this claim, as critics quickly pointed out, is that Epstein did not move into his Upper East Side mansion until 1996—three years after the alleged encounter with Trump.
This discrepancy has fueled skepticism, particularly among Trump’s supporters. A tweet by financial news outlet ZeroHedge highlighted the inconsistency, stating, “Epstein didn’t move into the Wexler mansion on 9 East 71st Street until 1996.” This crucial detail has led many to question whether Williams’ accusations are credible, or whether they are part of a politically motivated campaign to tarnish Trump’s reputation.
Williams, who dated Epstein at the time, insists she was unaware of his illegal activities. She shared her story during a call organized by a group known as “Survivors for Kamala,” a coalition of sexual abuse survivors who are backing Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign.
The group has been vocal in its opposition to Trump, recently running a full-page ad in The New York Times labeling him an abuser. They have praised Harris for her past work as a prosecutor handling sex crimes, though Harris has faced her own controversies for her record on prosecuting sexual abuse cases, particularly within the Catholic Church.
The Trump campaign was quick to respond to the accusations. Karoline Leavitt, the campaign’s press secretary, dismissed Williams’ claims as “unequivocally false.” Leavitt pointed out that Williams is a known Democrat activist with ties to former President Barack Obama’s campaign, having worked with the environmental advocacy group Clean Tech for Obama. According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records, Williams has a history of political activism within the Democratic Party, which, Leavitt argued, casts doubt on the motivation behind her allegations.
Leavitt further criticized the timing of the accusation, noting that it came during a campaign call organized by Harris supporters just two weeks before the election. “It’s obvious this fake story was contrived by the Harris campaign,” Leavitt said, accusing Democrats of orchestrating an “October surprise” to derail Trump’s campaign in the final stretch of the election. She emphasized that Williams’ political background and the timing of the accusation significantly undermine the credibility of the claims.
As the race for the presidency tightens, allegations such as Williams’ have the potential to influence undecided voters. Political experts have noted that the late emergence of accusations against candidates is a common tactic during election season, but the credibility of these claims often comes under heavy scrutiny, particularly when inconsistencies are found in the accuser’s story.
Critics of the accusation have pointed to the fact that Williams’ story was revealed during a Harris campaign event, which they believe suggests a politically motivated attack. Supporters of Trump have labeled the accusation as part of a broader effort by Democrats to damage Trump’s campaign.
In particular, conservative commentator Jack Posobiec tweeted, “The new Trump allegation was made in a paid Harris campaign zoom call. Completely planted.”
It remains to be seen whether Williams’ allegations will have any lasting impact on the election. While the Trump campaign has categorically denied the accusations, the story has stirred debate over the influence of politically timed allegations. Both sides of the political spectrum will be watching closely as the final days of the campaign unfold.
As of now, Stacey Williams’ accusations are the latest in a long line of claims aimed at discrediting Donald Trump, but questions surrounding the timeline and the political context of her story have led many to view it with skepticism.
Whether these claims will resonate with voters in the last days of the election remains uncertain, but the Trump campaign has made it clear they intend to fight back against what they view as a baseless, politically driven attack.
