In a spirited series of exchanges in the White House Briefing Room, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders batted away questions about women who have accused President Donald Trump of sexual misconduct in the past, as Sanders ripped the news media for misleading stories on other subjects.
"The President has addressed these accusations directly and denied all of these allegations," Sanders said in the first of a number of questions about the subject.
Three of the women who have alleged sexual misconduct urged Congress on Monday to investigate the claims against the President. The White House basically countered that it was old news.
"This took place long before he was elected to be President," Sanders told reporters. "The people of this country, in a decisive election, supported President Trump.
As for the accusations of sexual misconduct leveled by over a dozen different women, some Democrats in the Congress on Monday said it's time for a public accounting of what really happened.
'This is not about politics. This is not about policy," Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) said in a fundraising email entitled, "Why Donald Trump must resign," as several Democrats publicly called for that outcome.
"At least 17 women have accused Donald Trump of horrific sexual misconduct, and I believe them," Merkley added.
"Congress must investigate allegations by many, many women that he sexually assaulted and harassed them," wrote Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) on Twitter. "No one is above the law."
Things got more testy over news coverage of the Trump White House in a later exchange between Sanders and CNN correspondent Jim Acosta.
"You cannot say that it's an honest mistake when you are purposely putting out information that you know to be false," Sanders said.
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