'Donald Trump Hires Women As A Camouflage For His Misogyny': Gloria Steinem

New York: As more accusations emerge of Donald Trump's sexually predatory behaviour, the feminist icon and activist Gloria Steinem tore into the Republican Presidential candidate.

In an exclusive interview to NDTV, she said Trump's defense that he promotes women in his organisation (and campaign) is 'camouflage' for his misogyny.

Confronted by accusations of sexual harassment by a growing number of women, Trump told his supporters in North Carolina "she would not be my first", about a woman who accused him of inappropriate behaviour.

Steinem told NDTV that Trump "is saying that he only rates women on their looks and he will only harass a (woman he rates) 10 on 10. Well, this guy is never been a 1 himself. It's just that whole idea that you are rated on your outside because you are female when he does not rate men that way is completely crazed."

Rebutting the Trump campaign's charge that Bill Clinton also faces sexual harassment charges, she said "I did my best to investigate all the cases (against Clinton). Nobody is against freely chosen, mutual sexual encounters of any kind and they were about to destroy our law. So I looked into the cases as much as I could and even Paula Jones for instance, the woman from Arkansas (who has accused Clinton of molesting her), under great pressure from the right-wing because they had taken her cause up. She said, well he (Clinton) said to me 'I wouldn't want you to do anything you don't want to do'".

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But when asked to explain why Hillary Clinton is perceived as unpopular, she said, "Because ambition in women is unforgivable. There was a woman who was the PM of Australia who had the same experience. She was well liked till she wanted to become PM and suddenly people went, 'who do you think you are?' The same is true for Hillary. When she was the First Lady, it was okay, but when she wanted to be senator, her stock plummeted. You know - how dare you want to be a senator!"