At this point, we know that nothing Trump does makes any difference to his supporters. But perhaps if we lived in more, err, ~precedented~ times, this new story would convince one or two Trump voters to think twice. Or not—I have no idea anymore!
According to Williams, at the time, she was casually dating Epstein, the notorious financier turned disgraced sex trafficker who died in prison in 2019. Williams says she and Epstein were taking a walk when he suggested they visit Trump at Trump Tower. Once Epstein introduced Williams and Trump, she told the Guardian that he put his hands “all over my breasts,” waist, and buttocks. Williams said the incident “deeply confused” her, and that she remembers thinking she saw Epstein and Trump exchange a smile as Trump touched her. Williams also said that during her relationship with Epstein, she observed that “it became very clear then that he and Donald were really, really good friends and spent a lot of time together.”
A spokesperson for Trump’s campaign denied Williams’ allegations in a statement to the Guardian: “These accusations, made by a former activist for Barack Obama and announced on a Harris campaign call two weeks before the election, are unequivocally false. It’s obvious this fake story was contrived by the Harris campaign.”
Williams provided the outlet with a postcard Trump sent her in 1993; in his signature handwriting, he wrote, “Stacey—your home away from home. Love Donald.”
According to the Guardian, Williams previously shared parts of her allegation against Trump on social media but didn’t come forward with her full account until this week. On Monday, she spoke about the incident on a Zoom call organized by Survivors for Kamala, featuring Ashley Judd and Anita Hill. On the call, Williams recounted feeling like she was part of a”twisted game” between the two men. “He made me feel so disgusting and I remember being so utterly confused.”
“I felt shame and disgust and as we went our separate ways, I felt this sensation of revisiting it, while the hands were all over me. And I had this horrible pit in my stomach that it was somehow orchestrated,” Williams told the Guardian. “I felt like a piece of meat.” Two friends of Williams told the outlet they remembered Williams telling them about what had happened the day after the incident in 1993.
Williams said she waited for years to come forward because she “watched what has happened to women who come out and it is so horrifying and abusive. The thought of doing that, especially as a mother with a child in my house, was just not possible.”
Trump faces nearly two dozen allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct. In 2023, a New York jury found Trump civilly liable for sexual abuse. And, in 2002, Trump told New York magazine that Epstein was a “terrific guy” and “a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” In 2019, Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges, at which point, then-President Trump told reporters, “I haven’t spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.”
It’s unlikely there’s anything that could sabotage Trump to his base at this point, short of him coming out as trans or professing his sudden love for diversity, equity, and inclusion. But Williams’ story matters, whether Trump supporters believe it or not—they’re an important reminder of the existential threat that Trump poses to women’s safety, even as he ironically campaigns on being our “protector” in the final weeks on the campaign trail.
