Editorial: Trump’s response to Jessica Drake’s accusations devalues consent

Another day, another woman coming forward with stories about Donald Trump’s sexual advances. But the response to this one came with an added dash of deplorability: slut-shaming.

After videos of Trump referring to times he’s grabbed and kissed women without their consent because he was “a star” emerged earlier this month, scrutiny of his misogynistic language has intensified. During the ensuing weeks, 10 women have come forward to accuse him of variations on this behavior, including grabbing and kissing them. On Saturday, porn actress and sex educator Jessica Drake held a press conference to announce that she, too, had been a victim of Trump’s unwanted grabbing and kissing. Drake also claimed the real estate mogul offered her $10,000 to spend the night with him and offered her rides on his private jet as incentive, all of which she rejected.

Trump’s reaction to the accusation has been in line with how he’s handled the others. He resolutely denied Drake’s claims and, in the process of doing so, insinuated to New Hampshire radio station WGIR that she’s probably used to such treatment.

“One said, ‘he grabbed me on the arm.’ And she’s a porn star,” Trump said. “You know, this one that came out recently, ‘he grabbed me, and he grabbed me on the arm.’ Oh, I’m sure she’s never been grabbed before.”

Trump’s rhetoric reinforces the notion that women somehow don’t have a full right to sexual consent if they make a career out of sex. He’s wrong.

Drake’s career is based on consent. Porn stars have sex based on mutual consent, just like any other consensual sexual relationship that isn’t on camera. If Trump did what Drake claims, he sexually assaulted her, and she deserves as much credibility as any other victim.

Attacking the person, specifically women, accusing Trump instead of the validity of their accusations is a typical tactic of the GOP candidate. But his move against Drake shows an even greater lack of respect than his other transgressions. He’s belittling a woman he’s accused of assaulting by calling her morally corrupt, insinuating that she doesn’t have a right to her body because of her job.

Treating sex workers as unworthy of support following sexual violence, simply because of their jobs, is nothing new. When nine women came forward to accuse fellow porn star James Deen of rape and sexual assault last year, they faced apathetic online remarks such as “Well, you know you can’t rape a sex worker.” This sentiment is a form of career-specific victim-blaming, and it’s a core reason why survivors of assault often stay silent.

The problem with Trump’s insistence that she’s experienced this before — or that other men speak like he does in the locker room — is that it doesn’t justify his actions. Insinuating that other men may have grabbed Drake without her consent or have said things comparable to “grab her by the pussy” doesn’t lessen the severity of Trump’s rhetoric — it actually exemplifies the larger issue.

If Trump’s only defense is to make a baseless claim that Drake has faced similar treatment from others, that doesn’t actually minimize his supposed actions. Rather, it points out the normalization of assault as something women should not only expect but avoid addressing if it doesn’t meet a man’s standard of severity.

There’s only one standard that matters when it comes to being physical with another person: consensual or not.

Drake’s occupation has nothing to do with her honesty