WH denies Trump made sexist attack on Gillibrand

The White House on Tuesday denied that President Trump launched a sexist attack on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) when he said she “would do anything” for a campaign contribution.

“There is no way that is sexist at all,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters. 

Instead, Sanders said the president was accusing Gillibrand of being “controlled by contributions” and hammering home his pledge to “drain the swamp” in Washington.{mosads}

“I think that the president is very obvious,” she said. “This is the same sentiment the president has expressed many times before when he has exposed the corruption of the entire political system.”

The spokesperson said the president does not owe the senator an apology if his words were interpreted to have a sexist meaning.

“I think only if your mind is in the gutter you would have read it that way, so no,” she said.

Trump went after Gillibrand in an early-morning tweet after she called on the president to resign over allegations of sexual misconduct from more than a dozen women.

“Lightweight Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a total flunky for Chuck Schumer and someone who would come to my office ‘begging’ for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them), is now in the ring fighting against Trump. Very disloyal to Bill & Crooked-USED!” he wrote.

The tweet triggered controversy in Washington, with many Democratic lawmakers rushing to Gillibrand’s defense.