Gretchen Carlson, Megyn Kelly React to Eric Trump’s Comments About Sexual Harassment
Eric Trump is having a banner day in terms of controversial media appearances and soundbites, even by his own very lofty standards. He got fact-checked and corrected in real time courtesy of a CNN chyron. He got brutally rebuked by a CBS anchor, too. His most controversial moment came, however, when he asserted that his sister, Ivanka Trump, “is a strong, powerful woman. She wouldn’t allow herself to be, you know, objected [sic] to [sexual harassment in the work place].”
Yes, he said that his sister wouldn’t “allow” herself to be sexually harassed. What does that imply about women like Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly, whose stories of harassment have rocked the cable news industry over the last month? Does it mean they are not “strong, powerful” women because they “allowed” themselves to be harassed?
Plenty of people read that as victim-blaming…
As opposed to all you other sad, weak women who just sit there and take it. https://t.co/t2nivK27bY
— Laura Bassett (@LEBassett) August 2, 2016
I wish Eric Trump had been around to advise Anita Hill back in the day. He could have saved everyone a lot of trouble!
— Rachel Sklar (@rachelsklar) August 2, 2016
…including Carlson and Kelly themselves:
Sad in 2016 we’re still victim blaming women. Trust me I’m strong. #StandWithGretchen https://t.co/e2GxTaHZLN
— Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) August 2, 2016
Sigh. https://t.co/dj6rtOa8ta
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) August 2, 2016
Carlson has used her social media accounts to sound off on this topic before, but Kelly is a rare tweeter. Their public expression of displeasure is noteworthy because it defies the idea that weak, quiet women are harassed in and of itself.
[image via screengrab]
