Media

Fox Business host: Comparing Franken to Trump accusations ‘apples to oranges’

by Julia Manchester - 11/18/17 3:25 PM ET

Fox Business Network anchor Maria Bartiromo on Friday pushed back on comparisons of sexual misconduct allegations against President Trump and Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.).

“You’re comparing something that is apples to oranges, it’s not the same at all,” Bartiromo told former Obama administration official Chris Lu on “Mornings with Maria.”

Bartiromo and Lu were discussing the recent sexual misconduct allegations against Franken, which reportedly occurred before he was a U.S. senator, as well as allegations against Trump, which were made before he was an elected official.

“As your own network has reported, there are now eight or nine women who have made allegations against Roy Moore. There’s probably an equal number who have made allegations against the president,” Lu said. {mosads}

“If they deny the allegations, and yet you have other evidence and their testimony, I’m inclined to believe all of these women’s testimony, and I think that we have to sort out what all of this means. Simply denying it doesn’t absolve you of your responsibility,” he continued.

“Just to be clear, there are no allegations against the president,” Bartiromo asserted during the interview.

“There are allegations against Donald Trump from an earlier period,” Lu interjected.

“He said during the campaign that wasn’t true. In fact, didn’t he say also that, you know, all of this will come to light and there will be a lawsuit?” she continued.

“We’re talking about a situation where we have a picture with the guy’s hands on her breasts. You can’t compare the two.”

The comments come after Trump lashed out at Franken on Twitter this week after a Los Angeles radio host accused the former “Saturday Night Live” writer of groping and forcibly kissing her when the pair were on a USO tour together overseas in December 2006.

“The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?” Trump tweeted.

“And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?” he added in another tweet.

Trump has faced scrutiny for the tweets due to sexual assault and harassment allegations he has faced in the past, many of which came to light after an “Access Hollywood” tape leaked in the run-up to the 2016 election. The video showed Trump bragging about groping and kissing women without their consent.

Many of the women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct spoke to People this week, saying they feel like their stories have been forgotten after the election.

Trump dismissed the allegations against him again in October as “made-up stuff” and “fake news.”

“All I can say is it’s totally fake news — just fake. It’s fake, it’s made-up stuff. And it’s disgraceful what happens,” Trump said.