Donald Trump has gone on the attack after a series
of accusations were levelled against him that he made unwanted advances on
women.
First Lady Michelle Obama has slammed Mr Trump's
treatment of women, saying that his "obscene" comments had shaken her
"to my core".
The Republican presidential candidate said on
Thursday evening that he had "never met" the women who accused him of
sexual assault and advances.
He told supporters in Ohio the accusations were
"outright lies," and what had been described "had never
happened". He also claimed the media had "slandered and
lied about me" after earlier accusing the press of conspiring with Hillary
Clinton against his White House bid. His running mate Mike Pence also
blamed the media and Mrs Clinton for what he described as "a
discussion of slander and lies".
It came as Mr Trump's wife Melania called portions
of a People Magazine story alleging a sexual assault by her husband "false
and completely fictionalised" and threatened to sue.
In his last rally of the day in Cincinnati, Mr
Trump made no mention of the allegations as the crowd cheered wildly and booed
reporters covering the event.
Criticism of Mr Trump started after a clip
emerged, from 2005, in which the mogul brags about women letting him
kiss and grope them because he is famous, saying "when you're a star they
let you do it".
Mr Trump said he was sorry "if anyone was
offended" by the "locker room banter".
But more allegations have emerged in recent days,
with footage from 1992 featuring Mr Trump telling a young girl he would
be dating her in 10 years .
Two other women say he touched them
inappropriately.
Mrs Obama, speaking at a Mrs Clinton rally in New
Hampshire, said the Republican's sexual comments should not be seen as
"politics as usual", adding that they were not simply "lewd
comments" and not just "locker room banter".
She continued: "This was a powerful individual
speaking freely and openly about sexually predatory behaviour."
Mrs Obama said his behaviour sent a dangerous
message to children and told the rally that the measure of any society is
"how it treats its women and girls".
Saying it is not how someone who wants to be
President behaves, she added that "strong men, men who are truly role
models, do not need to put down women to make themselves feel powerful".
Her husband, Barack Obama, later said Republicans
who appeared to be abandoning Mr Trump's bid for the White House don't
deserve any credit for distancing themselves as they had stayed silent for too
long.
Mr Trump offered no evidence discrediting the new
reports except to ask why his accusers had waited years and then made their
allegations less than a month before the election.
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