Donald Trump kissed me during a job interview, claims former Apprentice star Jennifer Murphy
Reality show contestant says the Republican kissed her on the lips as she waited for an elevator – but that she will still vote for him
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A former Apprentice contestant has claimed she was kissed by Donald Trump during a job interview in 2005 – shortly after he married his wife Melania.
Jennifer Murphy, a contestant on the fourth season of the hit US reality show, said she had been invited to Mr Trump’s office for a job interview and he had kissed her on the lips as she was leaving.
The 37-year-old told Grazia magazine: “He walked me to the elevator, and I said goodbye. I was thinking ‘oh, he’s going to hug me’, but when he pulled my face in and gave me a smooch. I was like ‘oh kay’.
“I didn’t know how to act. I was just a little taken aback and probably turned red. And I then I get into the elevator and thought ‘huh, Donald Trump just kissed me on the lips.’”
“I think maybe in his mind he may have thought of me and maybe fantasised, or romantically, but I didn’t feel at the end of the day he would take action.
“I would hope that he would be true to his marriage, and I was also engaged at the time.”
The claims come as the Republican nominee is under mounting pressure after he was recorded boasting about groping women without their permission.
The recording made in 2005, unearthed by the Washington Post on Friday, heard Mr Trump saying: “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful – I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait.
“And when you’re a star they let you do it,” Mr Trump says. “You can do anything… Grab ’em by the p****.”
He also described “moving very heavily on” a married woman who was later identified as TV presenter Nancy O’Dell – whom he allegedly tried to fire from hosting the Miss USA pageant two years later for being pregnant.
Now key Republican figures have distanced themselves from his presidential campaign, saying they can no longer endorse him.
House Speaker Paul Ryan stopped short of formally unendorsing him – like Indiana Governor Kelly Ayotte, who said she would write in a vote for Vice-Presidential candidate Mike Pence – but Mr Ryan did say he would focus his energies on the reelection of Republican members of Congress rather than the presidential race.
A survey found 25 per cent of the GOP’s top brass – including Congressmen and women and state senators – have abandoned Mr Trump.
Of the 31 Republican governors, 54 GOP senators and the 246 Republican members of the House, a full 87 were not endorsing Mr Trump’s candidacy as of Tuesday night, a USA Today poll found.
But, despite her experience, Ms Murphy said she would still vote for Mr Trump who she described as her “mentor”.
She said she met him in 2004 when she was taking part in the Miss USA pageant and he invited her to audition for The Apprentice.
She was eventually fired sixth but Mr Trump gave her his business card and said he wanted to hire her but had to wait for the end of the show.
The former Miss Oregon said: “I don’t want him to ever feel I’m throwing him under the bus, because I’m not.
“I was surprised, but then it didn’t really bother me because I didn’t feel he was being degrading, or he was being dishonest to Melania.”
The Independent has contacted the Trump campaign for comment.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments