What did Donald Trump do today?

He staked out a position on sexual abuse as only he can.

On at least three separate occasions today, Trump took aim at victims of sexual abuse. He rushed to the defense of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who is accused of keeping quiet about sexual assaults on college wrestlers by a team doctor when he was an assistant coach. Four victims have now come forward to say that Jordan knew and spoke openly about the assailant's sexual habits, or that they confided in Jordan about sexual advances the doctor made towards them. Like the now-incarcerated officials at Penn State University who covered up the rapes committed by former coach Jerry Sandusky, Jordan would have had a legal responsibility to report any suspicion of sexual assault.

This morning, Trump, who has no connection to the matter other than being a political ally of Jordan's, declared that all four victims must be lying.

Trump also announced today that Bill Shine, who resigned from an executive position with Fox News amid charges that he helped cover up high-profile sexual harassment and assaults at that network, would be joining the White House staff. 

Finally, in a rally speech that was manic and emotional even by his standards, Trump augmented his usual race-based attack on Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) with imagery of physically forcing her to undergo a DNA test, before making a joking reference to the "Me Too" movement against sexual violence. "I’m going to get one of those little kits and in the middle of the debate... We will take that little kit--but we have to do it gently, because we’re in the ‘me too’ generation, so we have to be very gentle."

Trump has been credibly accused of sexual assault or harassment by at least 19 women, not counting his ex-wife Ivana Trump, who accused him of raping her while he was angry with her over a botched hair transplant. He has also been caught on tape bragging about grabbing women "by the pussy" and getting away with it because of his money and influence.

Why does this matter?

• Sexual assault is a serious crime and Americans shouldn't be attacked by their president for being opposed to it, or being victims of it.

• Trying to rally crowds against the victims of crimes is straight out of the authoritarian playbook.