A lot of good has come from the recent wave of sexual assault and harassment accusations that have been brought to light, and some really awful people such as Harvey Weinstein who have been flying under the radar for years are finally having to face the consequences of their actions. With that said, a dangerous precedent has also been set – if you want to bring someone down, falsely accuse them of sexual misconduct and they will be driven out without any proof or due process.
While there has been reason to believe that this very tactic was attempted (and continues to be attempted) on President Trump, we now have indisputable proof. In a shocking revelation, former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly told Glen Beck that he has personally heard a recording in which a woman was offered $200,000 to falsely accuse Trump of sexual misconduct.
“There is a tape, Beck, an audio tape of an anti-Trump person offering $200,000 to a woman to accuse Donald Trump of untoward behavior,” O’Reilly said.
He continued, saying, “But I can tell you that Donald Trump knows about the tape. And I’m, for the life of me, sitting here going, ‘Why on earth are you allowing a movement to try to smear you when you have a powerful — and I mean it’s powerful — piece of evidence that shows that this is an industry. That there are false charges and money changing hands.’ It’s so frustrating but I wanted your listeners to know it, it’s there, it’s amazing, and it will change the whole discussion if it ever gets out.”
If this tape does indeed come to light, it will send shockwaves across the country and the world, and O’Reilly seems confident that it eventually will. While such a tape would cast serious doubts on the legitimacy of the claims against Trump that were made during the election and have resurfaced in wake of the #MeToo movement, not all of the effects of such a tape would be positive. Indeed, the fact that political opponents of Trump would stoop so low as to pay for false accusations is deeply troubling and would no doubt be a major setback to women who truly have been victimized.
If it is proved that some allegations are false and were made only for political purposes then all accusations against political figures will immediately be called into question. Perhaps a little more question and skepticism is a good thing given the current climate, but at the same time, it may make it more difficult for women who have truly been victimized to come forward and take down the Harvey Weinsteins and Al Frankens of the world.
With that said, the releasing of this tape would come as a major victory for President Trump and his supporters. There’s little question that forcing Trump’s resignation is the ultimate goal of liberals in power, and the sexual misconduct claims against him are their primary tool for carrying out this objective. If just one of these accusations is proven to be fabricated, though, this entire position loses all credibility.
It’s difficult to know why President Trump has chosen not to demand the release of this tape thus far if it does indeed exist. No doubt, many factors are at play that must be considered, and, right now, Trump isn’t exactly under immense pressure to resign over his sexual misconduct accusations. If that pressure increases in the future, though, it could become more likely that this tape is brought to light.
For now, the mere likelihood of its existence is a major revelation in what has been a whirlwind the past few months that has had major impacts across the political sphere, media, and entertainment industry. While it is certainly important to bring down people in power who are truly guilty of sexual misconduct, it is equally important to protect innocent people from false accusations made against them.
Thus far, much more significance has been placed on believing these accusations without any consideration that they might be false. Should the tape that Bill O’Reilly insists Trump has possession of come out, though, that narrative may change in a big way.
~ American Liberty Report
