NYT columnist thrashed online for suggesting Trump is to blame for alleged Cornell gang rape

Michelle Cottle, a New York Times columnist, drew heavy criticism online after tying President Donald Trump to a alleged group sexual assault at Cornell University. Speaking on ABC News on Sunday, Cottle said the messages the accused men allegedly sent reflect a basic disrespect for women, and that the president deserves some of the blame. She argued the culture currently rewards swagger and mistreatment of women by making it look cool, according to Fox News.

The allegations come from a civil suit filed by a woman who appears as Jane Doe in court records. She says seven men raped her in 2024 while she was under the effects of ketamine and alcohol. The men deny wrongdoing: some describe the encounter as consensual, while others say they took no part. No criminal charges have been filed.

Critics noted that Joe Biden was president when the alleged incident occurred. Fox News contributor Joe Concha was among them. CNN contributor Scott Jennings mocked the comments, and Tricia McLaughlin, a former Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, called the media's habit of making everything about Trump lazy. Commentator John Ziegler called the take delusional. The Media Research Center first posted the clip.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →