Trump sexual assault accuser responds after he again mocks her story: "Like an octopus"
New York, New York - Jessica Leeds, one of the many women who have accused Donald Trump of sexual assault, shared her reaction after the former president again publicly mocked her and her story.
On Monday, Leeds held a press conference in which she said she "laughed out loud" when she heard Trump's recent comments about her and reaffirmed her claim that Trump sexually assaulted her while on an airplane in the 1970s.
"He assaulted me 50 years ago and continues to attack me today," Leeds said.
"It was like he had 47 arms – like an octopus, but not a sound was spoken."
She went on to say that Trump "has no respect for women, adding "he does not understand that he is a sexual predator."
Last week, Trump attended a court hearing in Manhattan as his legal team argued for a retrial for the civil sexual assault case brought forth by writer E. Jean Carroll last year, where Trump was fined $5 million and found liable for defamation and sexual abuse.
His attorneys pointed to testimony from Leeds about her own story, which they argued was inadmissible evidence.
The presidential candidate gave a 43-minute press conference afterward, where he argued that Leeds' story "didn't happen" because "she would not have been the chosen one."
JD Vance once suggested that Jessica Leeds is more credible than Donald Trump
Trump has reportedly faced sexual assault and harassment allegations from at least 18 different women over the years, with Leeds first coming forward with her story right before his 2016 presidential win.
He has aggressively denied every accusation, arguing some women are "not my type" while accusing others of trying to leech off his wealth and power.
Now, the former president is running for re-election and recently chose Ohio Senator JD Vance to be his running mate.
Vance's appointment has faced criticism, as he was previously a very vocal critic of Trump, particularly during the 2016 race.
In a recently resurfaced interview from 2016, Vance described it as a "he said, she said" situation and suggested that Trump has a history of being dishonest.
"At the end of the day, do you believe Donald Trump, who always tells the truth?" Vance said sarcastically with a smirk, before adding, "Just kidding."
Cover photo: Collage: Monica Schipper / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP