Donald Trump’s long history of sexism has become the central issue regarding his character during his campaign for the presidency. The problem grew when the Washington Post published an audio/video recording that surfaced Friday showing Trump using vulgar terms about groping and having sex with women.

He is essentially normalizing criminal behavior by not taking full responsibility for his actions.

In the 2005 conversation, Trump explicitly talked about “grabbing” a woman “by the p—-” to then “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush. Also claiming that “when you’re a star they let you do it.”

After the video’s release, Trump responded immediately and called it locker room banter.
“This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago,” Trump said.

Moderator Anderson Cooper gave Trump the opportunity to explain himself at the townhall debate on Sunday.

“I have great respect for women,” Trump said. “Nobody has more respect for women than I do,” he said, adding, “But Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course.”

The comments, which appeared to condone sexual assault, were swiftly condemned by the Hillary Clinton campaign.

Clinton tweeted saying, “This is horrific. We cannot allow this man to become our president.”

According to the Washington Post, Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager, also defended his former boss.

“He speaks from the heart,” Lewandowski said. “He speaks the way many people speak around the dinner table.”

That’s not how normal people talk at the dinner table. When you think of dinner, you think of a family sitting around a table talking about their day or their plans for tomorrow. They are not talking about sexual assault, and especially not trying to normalize it.

How is it that the Republican party picked a candidate, like Trump, who has a long history of making lewd and sexual comments toward and about women; even his daughter?

The Associated Press said that during his years as a reality TV star on the “The Apprentice,” Trump repeatedly demeaned women with sexist language, rating females by the size of their breasts and talking about which contestants he’d like to have sex with.

Trump is the most controversial presidential candidate America has seen in modern history. He is filled with hate and sexism. It is hard to believe anyone is still supporting him.

Trump already has a problem appealing to female voters and it might have just gotten worse.

According to a recent CNN poll, Trump still has 37 percent of voters backing him; even after Trump began the second presidential debate by supposedly apologizing to his family and the American people. But Clinton is now leading with more than 11 points.

Trump continually pushes the blame off onto other people rather than taking responsibility for his actions. Many of Trump’s followers overlook his rude and disrespectful comments and still continue to support him.

Trump’s response amounts to the phrase “boys will be boys.” But this man is running to become the President of the United States. He needs to be held to a higher standard than any average Joe.

The Justice Department writes on its website, sexual assault is “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient.” That includes talking about sexual violence; whether it be the kissing or the grabbing.

Donald J. Trump alludes to women as being sexual objects and that is far from the truth. This is how sexual violence becomes accepted in our culture. If our nation’s potential  president condones this type of behavior, what does that say about our country? And what does that say about our country’s future if he indeed becomes president?