2 women say Donald Trump made inappropriate sexual advances on them
The allegations, made by Jessica Leeds and Rachel Crooks in a New York Times story, came just days after a 2005 tape leaked in which Trump boasted about kissing and touching women without their permission.
Leeds told The Times she was on a plane next to Trump, who she had not yet met, in the early 1980s when the real-estate tycoon lifted her armrest and began touching her. She alleged that he grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hand up her skirt.
"He was like an octopus," she told The Times. "His hands were everywhere. ... It was an assault."
Leeds said she fled to the back of the plane, but never made a formal complaint. Instead she spoke with four individuals who The Times also interviewed to corroborate the claims.
The second woman, Crooks, said her incident occurred in 2005 - the same year as the damning leaked "Access Hollywood" tape was recorded.
Crooks, 22 at the time, said Trump began kissing her on the mouth after holding on to an extended handshake.
"It was so inappropriate," she told The Times. "I was so upset that he thought I was so insignificant that he could do that."
Both women had not previously come forward with their stories, but did so after Trump said in Sunday night's presidential debate that his words from the 2005 leaked tape were "just words" and just "locker room talk."
"Nobody has more respect for women than I do," Trump said, later adding that he did not do the things he discussed on the tape.
In that tape, where he was talking to NBC's Billy Bush aboard an "Access Hollywood" tour bus, Trump bragged about being able to "grab" women "by the p---y" because "when you're a star they let you do it."
The tape, which was published on Friday, was recorded after Trump had married his third wife, Melania, according to the publication.
Trump is also heard making a litany of crude sexual remarks about women in the tape.
Responding to the Times story, Trump insisted the stories were false.
"None of this ever took place," he told the Times, threatening to sue the newspaper.
"You are a disgusting human being," he added to the reporter.
He repeated his assertion that he never groped women as he described in the tape.
"I don't do it," Trump said. "I don't do it. It was locker room talk."