'He held onto my hand and he kept kissing me:' Women accusing Trump of sexual harassment speak out in harrowing interview

NBC News

Rachel Crooks says President Trump kissed her on the mouth.

• Jessica Leeds, Rachel Crooks, and Samantha Holvey spoke out about what they claim was forcible kissing and groping by Trump in an interview on NBC News' "Megyn Kelly TODAY.
• The White House denied the claims Monday, saying in part, "The timing and absurdity of these false claims speaks volumes and the publicity tour that has begun only further confirms the political motives behind them."

The White House lashed out Monday at the women who have accused President Trump of sexual harassment after three of them recounted their claims during a television interview.

Jessica Leeds, Rachel Crooks, and Samantha Holvey spoke out about what they claim was forcible kissing and groping by Trump in an interview on NBC News' "Megyn Kelly TODAY," one year after initially going public with their stories.

"We are private citizens and for us to put ourselves out there to try and show America who this man is, and especially how he views women, and for them to say, 'Nah, we don't care' - it hurt," Holvey, a former Miss USA contestant, said. "This is round two, the environment's different, let's try again."

The White House denied the claims in a statement issued Monday morning.

"These false claims, totally disputed most cases by eyewitness accounts, were addressed at length during last year's campaign, and the American people voiced their judgement by delivering a decisive victory," the statement read. "The timing and absurdity of these false claims speaks volumes and the publicity tour that has begun only further confirms the political motives behind them."

Rachel Crooks said she introduced herself to Trump in 2005 outside an elevator in Trump Tower in Manhattan, where she worked as a receptionist, and that he kissed her on the mouth.

"He held onto my hand and he kept kissing me," Crooks said. "I was shocked, devastated... I remember hiding in our boss's office because no one else was there, it was early in the morning, and I called my sister... I felt horrible."

Crooks said at the time, she believed she would have lost her job if she said anything about the interaction to her company.

"I wish I had been stronger then," she said.

Holvey, who was a Miss USA contestant in 2006, described Trump walking through the dressing room during the pageant while the women were dressed in only robes.

"He lined all of us up," she said. "I thought this was going to be a meet-and-greet... But he was looking me over like I was a piece of meat. ...I was just simply there for his pleasure. It left me feeling very gross, very dirty. I thought, 'this is not what I signed up for.'"