Waleed Aly says stop joking about ‘predator’ and ‘sinister’ Donald Trump
Waleed Aly has set his sights on the 'sexist and racist' Donald Trump during The Project Photo: Network Ten
Waleed Aly has pledged The Project will make no more jokes about the “stomach-turning” and “sexist” Donald Trump before the November 8 United States election.
In a lengthy rebuke against the billionaire and Republican presidential nominee during Monday’s ‘Something We Need to Talk About’ segment, Aly launched a “#TrumpIsNoLaughingMatter” campaign.
His monologue came in response to Saturday’s release of damning footage showing Trump joking and making vulgar comments about sexually assaulting women.
“We have spent the last 15 months since Trump announced he was running for president laughing at him. It seemed the only appropriate response for someone so ludicrous, and sure satire can be an effective tool,” Aly said.
“By treating Trump like a clown, we failed to recognise him as a potential president.
“Between now and the election, no more jokes about Trump because sexism is no laughing matter, and racism is no laughing matter. Sexual assault is no laughing matter and for those reasons, and sadly many more, Donald Trump is no laughing matter.”
Watch Waleed Aly’s takedown of Trump:
Waleed talks about why #TrumpIsNoLaughingMatter. | Written by Waleed Aly and Tom Whitty (@twhittyer) #TheProjectTV https://t.co/wvvsYCQYHk
— The Project (@theprojecttv) October 10, 2016
In the leaked 2005 outtakes of a Hollywood Access program published by The Washington Post, Trump was recorded saying:
“I moved on her like a bitch. But I couldn’t get there,” Trump said to describe an attempted conquest, as he prepared to greet another woman.
“I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. 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. You can do anything.
“Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.”
Trump’s ‘sinister motivation’
Aly went on to list some of Trump’s misdemeanours in the video and during his campaign.
“Behind closed doors [on the video Trump thought was private], there is everything that makes our stomachs turn, the predatory nature, the privilege, the sexism, the double standards, the sinister motivation. Behind closed doors, this is what Donald Trump sounds like,” Aly said.
Trump walks arm in arm with the woman he disparaged in the leaked video. Photo: YouTube
“[In the public campaign] he’s told us Mexicans are rapists, he’s encouraged violence at his rallies, called for a ban on the immigration of Muslims. He’s aligned himself with white supremacists. He’s advocated torture and the murder of women and children in the hunt for terrorists.”
Aly went on to point out that the outrage and offence caused by Trump had finally moved meaningfully outside of the “political class”.
He proved this by citing a tweet by Canadian author Kelly Oxford who shared her own story of sexual assault following Trump’s joking in the video about grabbing women’s “p*****s”.
Waleed Aly also slapped down Pauline Hanson’s support for Donald Trump. Photo: Getty
“What follows under the hashtag [on Oxford’s tweet] #NotOkay were 140,000 devastating stories of abuse from women all over the world,” Aly said.
“Australian women were represented as well, which is not surprising given the latest research in Australia shows that last year police recorded 21,380 Australians were victims of sexual assault.
“How many assaults went unreported? We don’t know.”
Aly also had time for a dig at One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who supported Trump – even after the video revelations.
“What he said was vulgar, I don’t support it whatsoever,” Hanson said on Sunrise. “It was said not on camera. It was said behind the scenes and it was a tape recording. Let’s be honest about it, there are a lot of men out that say horrific things.”
To which Aly responded: “Yeah, and we wouldn’t want those guys to be the most powerful person on the planet either. This is a man who, when he thinks no one can hear him, boasts about sexual assault.”