CBS’s Major Garrett: Why hasn’t Trump sued his sexual misconduct accusers?

A CBS correspondent wants to know why President Trump has not sued the women who accuse him of sexual harassment, as he said he would do following the 2016 election.

“During the campaign, as you remember, candidate Trump said after the election he would sue all the women that accused him of sexual misconduct and you deemed all liars,” CBS White House Correspondent Major Garrett said during Friday’s White House press briefing.

“He hasn’t done that. Why hasn’t he done that?” he asked.

{mosads}

“I haven’t asked him that question,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. “I’d have to ask him and let you know why he hasn’t chosen to take that path. That’s an option that Roy Moore has on the table.”

Trump made the comment about suing “liars” who accused him of harassment and abuse in 2016.

“Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign,” he declared during an October 2016 rally. “Total fabrication. The events never happened. Never. All of these liars will be sued after the election is over.”

On Friday, the president took Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) to task on Twitter for reported allegations of sexual misconduct against the senator. Some critics said Trump’s attack on Franken was hypocritical after his denials of his own sexual misconduct, as well as in the face of Trump holding his fire on Moore, the Republican Senate candidate in Alabama. Moore is also caught up in a scandal involving sexual misconduct charges.

A 2006 photo came to light on Thursday showing Franken grabbing radio anchor Leeann Tweeden’s breasts while she was slept during a USO trip to the Middle East. Franken has apologized.

“The Al Frankenstien [sic] picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words,” wrote Trump to his 42.9 million followers. “Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?”

The Al Frankenstien picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? …..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2017

Late in the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump was accused by at least 11 women of sexual harassment following the leak of the 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape that featured audio of him boasting about groping women.

Trump apologized for what he said in the tape but denies the accusations that followed.

“I said it, I was wrong and I apologize,” Trump said on Oct. 8, 2016, regarding the tape.