Juliet Huddy, the former Fox News anchor. Photo / Getty Images
Juliet Huddy, the former Fox News anchor. Photo / Getty Images
A former Fox News presenter has claimed that Donald Trump once attempted to kiss her on the lips around the time he married his second wife Melania.
Juliet Huddy said Mr Trump made the move in a lift after the pair had lunch in Trump Tower in either 2005 or 2006. Mr Trump married Melania in January 2005.
The TV host also claimed that Mr Trump made a joke about the incident later when appearing on her show, saying: "I tried hitting on her but she blew me off."
President Donald Trump. Photo / AP
Ms Huddy insisted she was neither "threatened nor offended" by the behaviour at the time but said she felt "a little shocked", according to the Daily Telegraph UK. The alleged incident has similarities with the claims of other women who claimed Mr Trump made unwanted advances towards them. He has denied the allegations.
It comes with US politicians facing a slew of allegations about their sexual conduct in the wake of revelations about Harvey Weinstein, the shamed Holywood mogul.
Al Franken, the Democratic senator once tipped for a presidential bid, stood down this week after assault claims while John Conyers, a long-serving congressman, has also resigned.
Roy Moore, the Republican candidate in Alabama for the US senate, has refused to quit despite multiple claims of sexual encounters with teenage girls - which he denies took place.
Ms Huddy recalled the incident with Mr Trump on a podcast called "Mornin!!! With Bill Schulz".
Juliet Huddy, the former Fox News anchor. Photo / Getty Images
She said: "He took me for lunch at Trump Tower, just us two. He said goodbye to me in an elevator while his security guy was there, rather than kiss me on the cheek he leaned in to kiss me on the lips. I wasn't offended, I was kind of like, 'Oh my god'."
Ms Huddy added: "I was surprised that he went for the lips. But I didn't feel threatened… he took me out to lunch to talk about maybe me doing something with The Apprentice. He used to watch Fox & Friends, the show I was hosting on the weekend. Whatever, everything was fine. It was a weird moment. He never tried anything after that, and I was never alone with him."
She said that Mr Trump joked about the attempted later when he appeared on her show. "Trump was a guest and he came on stage," Ms Huddy said.
"He said, to the audience and producers, not on camera, 'I tried hitting on her but she blew me off.' He was laughing."
Ms Huddy has since tweeted that the incident, first revealed in the New York Post's Page Six column, did take place but played down its significance.
Re: @PageSix story: Yes, it's true. And though I'm offended by his comments on 'other matters' - as I said on @77WABCradio & @BillSchulz's show yesterday - I was neither threatened nor offended in elevator. End of story. Now, plz let me get back to @TheCrownNetflix.
Julie Roginsky, a former Fox News contributor, also backed up the claim.
For all those who are doubting @JulietHuddyTV’s story, please stop. She told me this story many years ago, well before Trump was running for anything. She has absolutely no agenda other than the truth here.
