Former US president Donald Trump was set to appear at a rally Friday to endorse a political candidate accused of sexually assaulting eight women including a state senator.
Charles Herbster, a 67-year-old multimillionaire cattle-breeding executive, has denied the allegations but faces a backlash from conservatives in Nebraska, where he is vying to be the next governor.
State senator Julie Slama told the Nebraska Examiner two weeks ago that Herbster had reached up her skirt and groped her during an event in 2019, while seven women made misconduct accusations anonymously.
"I am not seeking media attention or any other gain. I simply was not going to lie and say it did not occur," Slama said in a statement, adding that she was 22 at the time.
Herbster, whose fortune comes in part from selling bull semen, was described as a "special guest speaker" by organisers of Trump's "Save America" rally at a race track near Omaha.
Aides informed Trump of the allegations earlier this month, according to Politico, but the Republican leader doubled down, pushing for Herbster to fight back.
The agricultural executive has dismissed the scandal as a "smear campaign" similar to attempts to target Trump, who has been accused of sexual misconduct himself by more than two dozen women.
"Charles will continue to fight to expose politically-motivated lies, to clear his good name, and to focus on the issues that he will tackle as the next governor of Nebraska," hid spokeswoman Ellen Keast said in a statement.
Trump, 75, has a long history of backing public figures accused of sexual assault or harassment, including White House aide Rob Porter after he was fired over accusations of battering two of his ex-wives.
Others who have benefited from his support amid misconduct scandals include former Fox News star Bill O'Reilly and Brett Kavanaugh, then a nominee to the Supreme Court but now an associate justice.
Among candidates for office, the list includes Roy Moore, 75, who denied multiple accusations of sexual misconduct but did not dispute that he had dated teenagers over the age of consent.
The race for the Republican nomination in Nebraska on May 10 is a three-way toss-up between Herbster, multimillionaire pig farmer Jim Pillen and state senator Brett Lindstrom.
Trump's October endorsement of Herbster, a prolific donor, rankled much of the Republican establishment in the state that Trump won by 20 points in 2020.
An unwavering loyalist who attended Trump's 2015 campaign launch and the rally ahead of the 2021 US Capitol assault, Herbster is vying to replace Pete Ricketts, the scion of a powerful Republican dynasty that owns the Chicago Cubs.
The outgoing governor, who tried to dissuade Trump from anointing Herbster, said Monday the candidate should apologise to his accusers, quit the race and "seek help."
Frustration is mounting on the right over the endorsements, which often appear to have more to do with the candidates' fame than their conservative credentials.
Trump's support of "Hillbilly Elegy" author J D Vance in Ohio and celebrity surgeon Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania underscores his willingness to defy the establishment, often putting him at odds with his own side.
And while Trump's popularity with the hardliners that make up his core support appears undiminished, his endorsements may not be the panacea they once were.
Vance's popularity has surged but Oz still trails a former US Treasury official, and Georgia gubernatorial challenger David Perdue has gone from seven to 25 points behind since Trump's endorsement in February.
"This is not a question of politics -- it is an issue of character and basic human decency," Slama's 12 female colleagues in Nebraska said in a joint statement.
"Charles Herbster's behavior is completely unacceptable for anyone, especially someone seeking a public office of authority and trust."
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