After a flood of reports from the New York Times, CBS News, Palm Beach Post, People magazine, a Seattle news station and others alleging various forms of sexual misconduct by Donald Trump spanning decades, the Scott Peters campaign is asking Denise Gitsham if she is concerned about Trump yet; in May she told voters she was ‘not concerned’ about a Trump presidency. Gitsham has remained silent about the most recent allegations against her party’s nominee, which include making suggestive comments about a 10-year-old girl, just as she did when Trump said that women should be punished for having an abortion and mocked a differently-abled reporter.
Just after Trump clinched the Republican nomination, Gitsham said, “my focus is really on supporting the Republican nominee, whoever that is, because I’m a Republican.” Now, Gitsham is refusing to clarify whether she will vote for Trump, instead picking times to criticize Trump’s words, but not reject the candidate himself or in this case, his actions. This lack of transparency comes as dozens of Republican members of Congress, including Senators John McCain and Kelly Ayotte, have made it clear they are concerned about Trump’s reckless candidacy and sexual misconduct and vowed not to vote for him.
“Denise Gitsham isn’t concerned about a Trump presidency or about being up front with voters, but with political expediency,” said MaryAnne Pintar, Peters’ campaign manager. “Maybe she’s being evasive because that’s what her polls tell her to do, but this isn’t about Denise Gitsham’s political future, it’s about America’s future.”