Fiorina on being a victim of sexual harassment: ‘Of course I was. Every woman I know was’

Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, on Sunday said she faced sexual harassment as she climbed the corporate ladder, as did every other woman she knows.

When “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace asked her whether she was ever a victim of sexual harassment, Fiorina said, “Of course I was.”

{mosads}

“Every woman I know was,” she said.

“Was I propositioned? Of course. Was I introduced as a bimbo? Of course,” Fiorina continued, adding that “this is common occurrence, unfortunately.” 

Fiorina said that despite more women coming forward to challenge men who act inappropriately, the real “watershed moment” will take place only when men begin to challenge and stand up to other men.

“The problem is that men still can respect men, despite this behavior,” she said, while stressing that most men are good.

She also said both genders share the responsibility of challenging inappropriate behavior.

“You can’t tell me no one knew what was going on. People knew. Men knew and women knew,” Fiorina said.

Fiorina listed a handful of names who she said other people had to have known of their sexual misconduct, including former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, media mogul Harvey Weinstein and veteran reporter Charlie Rose.

She described the sexual misconduct problem in politics as an issue that stretches across the aisle, which leads each side to try to defend “their own.”

“Democrats try to defend their own. Republicans try to defend their own,” she said, adding that President Trump is only supporting GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore despite several allegations of sexual misconduct because he “cares about a vote in the Senate — no more, no less.” 

Her remarks come at a time when prominent figures in politics, media and other industries are facing allegations of sexual misconduct as more and more accusers come forward.