Former President Trump was stumped Sunday by Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster, who has been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct.
Trump doubled down on his support for the candidate after the allegations surfaced last week and offered a spirited defense of Herbster on Sunday.
“It’s been heavily maligned, and it’s a shame. That’s why I came here,” the former president said of Herbster. “I defend people when I know they are good. He is a good man.
“I have to defend my friends. I have to stand up for people who are good,” Trump also said. “He has been my friend for 30 years. He is the most innocent human being. He is the last person to do any of these things and even the things he is accused of. What did they say? He talked to someone. He spoke. It’s a shame what they’ve done.”
During the rally, Trump invited Herbster to join him on stage, calling him someone who has been unfairly “put through a grinder.”
The candidate spoke briefly and praised Trump’s work during his tenure, including his Supreme Court appointments and moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.
“As you know, the primary is May 10, and I think Charles will do very well,” Trump said after Herbster left the stage.
Herbster is a businessman who previously contributed to Trump campaigns and advised the former president on agriculture.
Outgoing Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts (R) has called the allegations against Herbster “beyond horrible” and is backing University of Nebraska Regent Jim Pillen in the primary.
Eight women have accused Herbster of sexual misconduct, including state Sen. Julie Slama (R), who said he hiked up her skirt and touched her inappropriately in 2019, according to The Nebraska Examiner.
Since the publication of the allegations, one of Herbster’s other alleged victims, Elizabeth Todsen, has gone public with her claims after first being listed as an anonymous accuser in the report.
“For years I have struggled with an experience I had with Charles W. Herbster. At a political event in 2019, Herbster sexually groped me while greeting my table. This was the same night that Herbster aggressively grabbed Sen. Julie Slama,” Todsen said, adding that coming forward was an “extremely difficult” decision for fear of repercussions.
“But after thinking about this for years, I know it’s time Nebraskans knew about the horrible actions done by Charles W. Herbster,” he added.
The gubernatorial candidate has denied the accusations and called the report on him a “dirty, ridiculous and baseless political stunt.”
Meanwhile, Trump has faced his own accusations of sexual misconduct, including from writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of assaulting her in a department store dressing room. He has has also been charged of sexual misconduct by beauty pageant contestants, journalists, and a contestant on The Apprentice.
Reference-thehill.com