Donald Trump accused of 'unsettling' behaviour by 'dozens' of women

'He kissed me directly on the lips,' former beauty pageant winner says, 'I thought, ‘Oh my God, gross’

Dave Kotinsky/Getty (www.davekotinsky.com)

Dozens of women have spoken of uncomfortable encounters with Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, according to a report.

Mr Trump’s relationship with women has been the subject of significant criticism throughout his incendiary presidential campaign, but much has focused on his rhetorical jabs at women – such as Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly and comedian Rosie O’Donnell.

In an article published by the New York Times, however, more than 50 women shared experiences that paint a picture of Mr Trump that goes beyond harsh words.

In one instance, according to the report, Mr Trump met 26-year-old model Rowanne Brewer Lane at a party he hosted at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Ms Brewer Lane did not take a swimsuit to the party because she said she had not intended to swim.

“He took me into a room and opened drawers and asked me to put on a swimsuit,” she recounted. “I went into the bathroom and tried one on. … I came out [in the bikini], and he said, ‘Wow.’”

When he returned to the pool with the young model, Ms Brewer Lane said, he announced to the 30 men and 50 models at the party, “That is a stunning Trump girl, isn’t it?”

However, Mr Trump denied any suggestion he had acted inappropriately. “A lot of things get made up over the years,” he told the Times. “I have always treated women with great respect. And women will tell you that.”

And reacting later on Twitter, Mr Trump dismissed the article.

“The failing [New York Times] wrote yet another hit piece on me,” he said. “All are impressed with how nicely I have treated women, they found nothing. A joke!”

The women's accounts detail decades of Mr Trump’s life, going back to his “Ladies Man” boarding school days.

Barbara Res, Mr Trump’s head of construction in the 1980s, said he had would digress from workplace matters in the office to make general remarks about women’s bodies, including her own.

Donald Trump and second-wife Marla Maples in 1993 (AFP/Getty) (This content is subject to copyright.)

During an interview with an architect for a Los Angeles-based project, Ms Res recalled Mr Trump had decided to give his views on California women.

“They take care of their a**es,” he said, remarking in particular on the fitness of women in Marina del Rey.

Ms Res added that Mr Trump noticed her weight gain years later. “You like your candy,” he told her.

When Mr Trump bought a large stake in the Miss Universe Organisation in the mid-1990s, he involved himself in the operations of the beauty pageant.

Temple Taggart, former Miss Utah in 1997, said she had met Mr Trump that year.

“He kissed me directly on the lips. I thought, ‘Oh my God, gross’,” she said

“He was married to Marla Maples at the time. I think there were a few other girls that he kissed on the mouth. I was like ‘Wow, that’s inappropriate’.”

Some of the women interviewed, including Ms Res, did appreciate Mr Trump’s efforts to put women in positions of authority.

Jill Martin, a vice president and assistant counsel for the Trump Organisation, said that Mr Trump could be “mischaracterised” at times.

“For me, he’s made it a situation where I can really excel at my job and still devote the time necessary for my family,” she said.

Ms Res added that Mr Trump liked to hire women because he felt they worked harder than men.

She said he had told her: “I know you're a woman in a man's world. And while men tend to be better than women, a good woman is better than 10 good men."

Ms Res told the Times that "he thought he was really complimenting me".