Ivanka Trump defends Donald against accusations of sexism: 'He's not a groper'
In an interview with CBS that aired on Wednesday, Ivanka Trump said she found the Times report "disturbing" and challenged a claim that he groped one of his employees.
"I'm not in every interaction my father has, but he's not a groper. That's not who he is," Ivanka said.
In the Times report, a female employee who worked with Trump at an Atlantic City beauty pageant described a "very traumatic incident" during which the mogul allegedly groped her under a dinner table.
In Wednesday's interview, saying her father had "total respect for women," Ivanka Trump reiterated the Trump campaign's assertion that he promoted women in the workplace at a time when it was uncommon.
"There was no trend toward equality in real estate back in the 1980s. And he was doing it because he believes ultimately in merit," Ivanka Trump said.
Still, the Times reported that the alleged groping incident was one of many "unsettling" interactions Trump had with women.
Many of the subjects involved in the interview described the former reality-television star's habit of commenting on women's bodies as well as his alleged "unwelcome" romantic advances, which some said occasionally occurred in the workplace. Others, however, praised the businessman for nurturing of the careers of women within his real-estate business.
Though the Trump campaign has attempted to discredit the Times report, many of the real-estate magnate's opponents believe his public statements about women alone are enough to turn voters off. Throughout the 2016 race, Trump has maintained the lowest favorability ratings among female voters of any major 2016 presidential candidate.
On Monday, a super PAC backing Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton unleashed its first major ad campaign aimed at Trump.
One of its spots prominently featured Trump's past comments on women's bodies. They included his assertion that "a person who is flat-chested is very hard to be a 10," as well as his judgment that reality-television star Kim Kardashian does not have a good body but "absolutely" has a "fat a--."