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Trump Accusers: Holvey, Crooks, Leeds

Allegations and Number of Accusers Do Not Equal Guilty as Charged

More women are now making public allegations against Donald Trump. The statements below are taken directly from a December 2017 interview with Megyn Kelly and accusers Samantha Holvey, Rachel Crooks and Jessica Leeds. President Trump has denied the incidents ever took place.

Samantha Holvey

From an alleged event in 2006:

A former Miss USA pageant contestant, Samantha Holvey, told Megyn Kelly that when she was 20 years old Mr. Trump looked at her during the beauty pageant.  She did not make any claims that he touched her in any inappropriate manner. Trump previously told Howard Stern that he went back stage and looked at the contestants. It was not new news.

Rachel Crooks

From alleged events in 2005-2006:

He shook my hand, you know? And he kind of gave me the normal double cheek kiss. But then he held onto my hand and he kept kissing me, you know? He kept maybe asking me a question, you know? ’Where you from?’ and kissing me again. [Megyn: So he kept kissing you?] Ya, I don’t know how many times, multiple, he kept going back and forth. And then he kissed me on the lips. I was devastated. It happened so fast, I guess. I didn’t really … I wish I would have been courageous to be like, you know, ‘What’s going on? You need to stop this’. But, um, I think ultimately, he got back on his elevator, and I ran back into my office, and I remember hiding in, um, our boss’ office, because no one else was there, it was early in the morning. And um, I called my sister and I was like “I don’t know what just happened” but I felt horrible.

Then Megyn brought up another situation in which a former colleague also described a situation when she saw Mr. Trump at an elevator, and instead of kissing her on the cheek, he kissed her on the lips. But that she didn’t feel threatened. She thought he didn’t mean to do it and she may have leaned in the wrong way.  Next Megyn asked Crooks if she had a similar take on what happened to her. “How did you feel?” asked Kelly.

Rachel responded, “I mean I felt the same, I guess, but um, I was uncomfortable, because he was someone I saw regularly, you know?”

Megyn: Is it true he asked for your phone number?

Ya.  I don’t know if that happened a couple days later, but he actually came into the office, um, I was sitting at my desk. I remember asking him, “What do you need that for? (chuckle)”. But I gave it to him.”

Crook’s Statement Content Analysis

Let’s unpack this. There is much to address in her six-minute conversation with Megyn.

You know. By using the phrase “you know,” Crooks wants us to agree with her that she is stating the truth. However, we assume nothing. We only believe what people tell us. These extra words are not necessary and are often used to build credibility. She used “you know” five times in her interview. More credible statements would have been to say, “He shook my hand. He kept kissing me. He asked me ‘Where are you from?’ I wish I would have been courageous. He was someone I saw regularly.”

Kind of gave me the normal double cheek. The words “kind of” tell us that he didn’t give her the Normal Double Cheek kiss as she describes. It weakens her statement as to what happened. “He shook my hand, and gave me a double cheek kiss” is a more supportive statement.

I guess, I think, maybe, I don’t know. The phrases “I guess,” “I think,” “maybe” and “I don’t know” show a lack of commitment. No commitment means we cannot believe the alleged victim.

Really. There are certain words and phrases people use to try to beef up their statement, in an attempt to convince you they are being truthful. Some of these deceptive words include truthfully, really, actually, and honestly. She started to say something “I didn’t really …“ but then stopped herself and continued with “I wish I would have been…”.  Instead of boosting their credibility, it actually weakens their statement.

I was devastated. I felt horrible. Are the emotions appropriate and as you would expect them to be for the situation? Initially she said she was devastated when he kissed her and felt horrible. Not surprised or taken back, but devastated. Then later when Megyn asked if she felt as her colleague did in a similar situation, which was not threatened, Crooks responded, “I felt the same way.”  Inappropriate emotions are an indicator the statement is being made up.

I think ultimately, he got on the elevator. Most people leave out some details when they recount a story. However, more than just for the sake of brevity, deceptive people intentionally omit significant details. Identify gaps in time. This is where the omitted details are likely to be. Words and phrases that are commonly inserted to skip over those areas they do not want to talk about include: The next thing I knew, the next thing I remember, ultimately, after, after a while, later, or later on.

Actually. “He actually came into the office.” If it’s not comparing two things, such as “You were standing by the elevator when he asked for your number? No, actually he came in to the office…”  then the use of the word actually signifies deception.

Later in the interview, Megyn tells Crooks that she can’t imagine it’s the first time she’s been accused of being a political operative and generating a false story to try to take him down.

“(grin) Ya. No. (giggle) But I can’t imagine anyone wanting to come into the spotlight about this. I mean, seriously. I would much rather be of public interest for something great I accomplished, and not something negative that happened to me. So, um, I think that’s just crazy, and I mean, we.. are… the things that happened to us span decades, states, all over. What…could we have possibly… colluded to come up with these tales that all sound so eerily similar?

Crooks Analysis Continued

Can’t imagine, could, couldn’t, would, wouldn’t. “I can’t imagine anyone wanting to come into the spotlight,” is not the same as saying “I don’t want to be in the spotlight…”  “Could we have possibly colluded…? Does not mean, “we did not collude”, and her response does not address the specific suggestion that she personally was a political operative or that there isn’t an ulterior motive in coming forward. It does, however, beg the question why did she bring up a group colluding to come up with tales, when that wasn’t something that was suggested?

DenialsUnless someone says they did not do the specific thing they’re being accused of, it’s not a real denial. Sometimes it only sounds like a denial. They may deny the conclusion (I think that’s crazy [to suggest I’m a political operative]), but they won’t deny the act (No, I did not make up a false story to try to take him down). A truthful person will answer specific questions with direct responses, whereas a deceptive person avoids answering the question.

Megyn asked her about two suggestions, 1. that she is a political operative, and 2. that she’s generating a false story to try to take him down. Therefore when Crooks starts her response with “Ya. No.” we don’t know what she’s agreeing to or what she’s denying – that she’s a political operative, or that she’s not trying to take Trump down. She never says that she’s not either of those.

These tales – Articles are words that define a noun as specific or unspecific. Articles determine ownership vs. distance, and familiarity vs. stranger.  Look at the difference if she had said, “… colluded to come up with a tale that all sounds…” between what she said, “… colluded to come up with these tales that all sound…” “These” is specific, definitive, close and familiar, and it’s taking ownership of the tales. She specifically used the word “tales” and not “account” or “details”.

As a point of reference, in OJ Simpson’s book, I Want To Tell You, he wrote “I am grateful that even those who believe in my guilt also believe that I should have my day in court ….” Most people would say something like, “…. even those who believe I am guilty.” In OJ’s statement, the pronoun “my” is a possessive pronoun, taking ownership. It’s as if he is talking about something he has already established, his guilt.

Jessica Leeds

Jessica Leeds alleges that Donald Trump groped her and kissed her without her consent on an airplane in the 1970s.

Leeds’ stated:

“After the meal was cleared, all of a sudden, he’s all over me, kissing, and groping, groping, and kissing. And, believe me, I can… my memory of it was that nothing was said, it was silent groping going on. I do remember at one point, out of my side eye, thinking why doesn’t the guy sitting across the aisle help me, or where’s the stewardess, somebody?”  “That was my story. I didn’t tell anybody.” 

Further in the interview with Megyn, Leed’s describes an incident three years later when she was working in New York at a gala where many famous designers attended:

“ … and then up to the table comes Donald Trump and his first wife.” “But he stands there as I am handing him his table assignment, and he says, ‘I remember you. You were that (silent pause) from the airplane.’ He called me the worst name ever.” Then discussion with Megyn about which word it was that “started with a C and ends with a T”.  “Then he took his seat assignment and I went home.”

Leeds’ Statement Content Analysis

All of a sudden, at one point. More than just for the sake of brevity, deceptive people intentionally omit significant details. Identify gaps in time. This is where the omitted details are likely to be. Words and phrases that are commonly inserted to skip over those areas they do not want to talk about include: The next thing I knew, the next thing I remember, all of a sudden, later on and at one point.

Believe me. There are certain words and phrases people use to try to beef up their statement, in an attempt to convince you they are being truthful. Instead of boosting their credibility, it actually weakens their statement. Some of these deceptive phrases and words include: I swear to God. honestly, to tell the truth, believe me, honestly, frankly, truthfully. When people say believe me, usually you cannot.

He is all over me, up to the table comes Donald Trump, he stands where I am standing, he says. Verb tenses refer to the time the action is taking place. When someone retells what they saw or what happened, they should be speaking in past tense because it already happened and is coming from memory. Using the present tense to retell what happened in the past indicates the statement is being made up.  A credible recount would have been to say, “He was all over me… Donald Trump came up to the table. He stood where I was standing, he said…” She also says that he took his seat assignment and she went home, both in past tense. We can believe that he did take his seat and that she did go home.

Lastly, as it relates to verb tense, ask yourself why she said “That was my story,” instead of “That is my story,” if she is still standing by it.

Innocent Until Proven Guilty

Has “Innocent until proven guilty” gone by the wayside in exchange for “Guilty by popular opinion, false accusations and media manipulation”? Do you think MSM has been irresponsible in giving life to accusations before facts and evidence are revealed only after an in-depth investigation?

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As Managing Director of Concealed Statements I work with men and women who want to increase their deception awareness to avoid wasting time or money and avoid making poor decisions based on inaccurate information.

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This post first appeared on Blog | Deception Expert Laurie Ayers, please read the originial post: here

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Trump Accusers: Holvey, Crooks, Leeds

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