Trump Declares That Perpetrators Of Sexual Assault Be Held Accountable (Except Him)

The White House declared April to be “NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS AND PREVENTION MONTH, 2018.” The proclamation contains language about perpetrators of sexual assault being held accountable. Of course, the White House means that everyone should be held accountable, but Trump.

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The proclamation with my comments in bold:

Sexual assault crimes remain tragically common in our society, and offenders too often evade accountability. These heinous crimes are committed indiscriminately: in intimate relationships, in public spaces, and in the workplace. (or on the set of The Apprentice).

We must respond to sexual assault by identifying and holding perpetrators accountable. (unless he is the President Of The United States) Too often, however, the victims of assault remain silent. They may fear retribution from their offender, (who will call them liars and threaten to sue them) lack faith in the justice system, or have difficulty confronting the pain associated with the traumatic experience. My Administration is committed to raising awareness about sexual assault and to empowering victims to identify perpetrators so that they can be held accountable. We must make it as easy as possible for those who have suffered from sexual assault to alert the authorities and to speak about the experience with their family and friends.

When victims seek help, responses must be carefully tailored to the context in which the sexual assault occurred and the unique needs of each victim. To better assist victims, the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women has developed the Sexual Assault Victim Intervention Services Technical Assistance Center (SAVIS TAC). This new resource will help community officials and organizations appropriately respond to sexual assault by expanding their understanding of the type of support likely to be effective in each unique circumstance. Participants in the SAVIS TAC initiative will use available funds to provide intensive training and resources to service providers. With these resources, service providers, including rape crisis centers and other sexual assault and domestic violence organizations can build organizational and staff capacity for providing comprehensive sexual assault victim intervention services.

Together, during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we recommit ourselves to doing our part to help stop sexual violence. We must not be afraid to talk about sexual assualt and sexual assult prevention with our loved ones, in our communities, and with those who have experienced these tragedies. We must encourage victims to report sexual assault and law enforcement to hold offenders accountable, and we must support victims and survivors unremmittingly. Through a concerted effort to better educate ourselves, empower victims, and punish criminals, our Nation will move closer to ending the grief, fear, and suffering caused by sexual assult. The prevention of sexual violence is everyone’s concern.

It is a joke that the White House would release this proclamation, but it is no coincidence that they news dumped this announcement on Good Friday after 5 PM. There have already been calls for Mr. Grab Them By The P-Word to resign.

If we are going to have a real conversation about sexual assault, it should start with the behavior of Trump. The White House can bury a press release, but they can’t hide the fact that men who just declared sexual assault awareness and prevention month is a serial sexual assaulter.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association