Trump lays out plans for 1st 100 days, vows to sue 'every one' of his female accusers
Republican presidential candidate promises to battle corruption, trim federal workforce
Donald Trump on Saturday pledged post-election lawsuits against every woman who has accused him of sexual assault or other inappropriate behaviour, and he charged Hillary Clinton's campaign and the Democratic Party with orchestrating the allegations.
"Every one of these liars will be sued once the election is over," Trump said, adding, "I look so forward to doing that."
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Trump's threat overshadowed his intended focus during a speech in Gettysburg, Pa., that was billed as a chance for the Republican nominee to lay out his agenda for his first 100 days in office.
Trump promised to institute a hiring freeze on federal workers and to label China as a currency manipulator, but he first seized on the chance to once again try to discredit his accusers.
"Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign," he said.
Another accuser comes forward
On Saturday, another woman, Jessica Drake, an adult film performer, accused Trump of pressuring her to have sex with him 10 years ago when they met at a golf tournament. After that, she said a man, possibly Trump, called her to offer her $10,000 if she would have sex with him, which she declined.
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Trump's campaign said the accusations were false. At least 10 women have said Trump made unwanted sexual advances, including groping or kissing, in incidents from the early 1980s to 2007, all of which Trump has denied.
Trump announces White House plans
Trump's ambitious to-do list for the first 100 days of a Trump administration comes as his path to the White House narrows before the Nov. 8 vote.
Beset by weeks of controversy, the Republican presidential nominee tried to shift attention back to his core priorities with the speech, which Trump's team had hyped heavily as his campaign struggles to regain ground lost to Clinton.
Trump opened his speech by telling supporters the U.S. political system is "totally rigged and broken."
"I've seen the system up close and personal for many years, in Washington and on Wall Street, and how the rules of the game against everyday Americans are rigged. The rules are rigged," he said.
Vows to weaken U.S. media 'power structure'
He said he would work to quash deals that allow media ownership concentration, saying large media companies are "trying to tell voters what to think and what to do."
Trump promised to foil a proposed deal for AT&T to buy Time Warner if he wins the election, arguing it was an example of a "power structure" rigged against both him and voters.
"As an example of the power structure I'm fighting, AT&T is buying Time Warner and thus CNN, a deal we will not approve in my administration because it's too much concentration of power in the hands of too few," Trump said.
He also said he would look at "breaking" up Comcast's acquisition of NBC Universal in 2013.
"Deals like this destroy democracy," he said.
He also complained that a "corrupt" media is fabricating stories in order to make him "look as bad and dangerous as possible."
The media are "trying to suppress my voice," Trump said.
At a campaign event later on Saturday in Pittsburgh, Clinton criticized Trump's stance on news outlets, noting that she receives negative coverage too.
"When he blows up at a journalist or criticizes the press and goes on and on and on — you know, I get criticized by the press," she said. "I believe that's part of our democratic system."
Setting the tone for campaign's final days
Stephen Miller, Trump's national policy director, had said the speech would "set the tone" for the campaign's final days and that Trump would try to make the case as "the change-agent our country needs."
Trump told the rally that on his first day in office, his administration would announce six measures to "clean up the corruption and special interest collusion" in Washington:
- Constitutional amendment to impose term limits on all members of Congress.
- Hiring freeze on all federal employees to reduce that workforce through attrition, exempting jobs in the military, public safety and public health.
- Requirement that for every new federal regulation, two existing regulations must be eliminated.
- Five-year ban on White House and congressional officials becoming lobbyists after they leave government service.
- Lifetime ban on White House officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.
- Complete ban on foreign lobbyists raising money for American elections.
Clinton shows confidence amid Trump's struggles
The GOP nominee also repeated accusations that law enforcement officials have "covered up [Clinton's] crimes" and that means she should not have been allowed to run for office. It's an argument Republicans have tried to reinforce by pointing to stolen emails from her campaign chairman that cast light on the Clinton Foundation's reliance on wealthy foreign governments.
Amid Trump's struggles, Clinton has been displaying growing confidence and making direct appeals to voters "who may be reconsidering their support" for Trump following a string of sexual assault allegations and other troubles for the GOP nominee.
"I know you may still have questions for me," Clinton said Friday in Cleveland. "I respect that. I want to answer them. I want to earn your vote."
Her campaign headquarters in New York was back up and running after an envelope containing a white powdery substance arrived on Friday, triggering an evacuation of the 11th floor. Police said initial tests showed the substance wasn't harmful, and Clinton spokesman Glen Caplin said four people who received a full medical examination reported no health issues and were released.
Clinton was also getting a campaign boost on Saturday from singer Katy Perry, who planned to push early voting during an event in Las Vegas. The pop icon has been a vocal Clinton backer and was the featured entertainment at the Democratic National Convention.
With files from CBC News and Reuters