It has certainly been a rough couple of weeks for Donald Trump, not that he didn’t have it coming. Audio recently leaked of a lewd conversation between the Republican presidential nominee and former Access Hollywood host Billy Bush in 2005, in which Trump brags about sexually assaulting women. Countless voices, including those in Trump’s own party, have lambasted him for what he simply brushed off as “locker room” talk. Since then, scores of women have come forward, telling their own tales of sexual misconduct at the hands of Donald J. Trump, and his poll numbers have gone into a free-fall.
From tonight's Trump rally: pic.twitter.com/g1MtfIAvFV
— Angelo Carusone (@GoAngelo) October 18, 2016
Nonetheless, the election is still a few weeks away and Trump isn’t one to give up. One place that Trump appears to feel like a demi-god at is his own rallies. There, thousands upon thousands of Trump supporters stand in awe of their favored candidate. However, at a rally this past Monday, Trump committed one of his biggest gaffes in a campaign full of them.
It was during this rally that Trump was joined on stage by a little girl. Candidates for president are often expected to show their sensitive sides by engaging with children. This usually means something along the lines of a warm hug. Trump took things a step too far, to the discomfort of many. He opted to try to plant a kiss on the lips of the young child, with a pink bow in her hair. She certainly wasn’t having any of it, as she turned her head in resistance, only to have Trump kiss her on the cheek.
If this was Trump’s attempt at seeming warm and lovable to undecided voters, it definitely wasn’t effective. In fact, it probably had an opposite effect. It made Trump seem so out of touch with reality, he doesn’t even understand how to seem friendly without being creepy.