A man accused of groping a woman on a Southwest flight told law enforcement when he was arrested that President Trump “says it’s OK to grab women by their private parts,” according to court documents filed on Monday.
Bruce Alexander was charged with abusive sexual contact after the flight landed in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
An affidavit filed by FBI Special Agent Michael Hopkins described how Mr. Alexander allegedly groped an unnamed woman twice during the flight.
The woman told law enforcement she fell asleep after boarding but about 20 minutes after takeoff, she felt fingers around her “bra line.” Thirty minutes later, she felt fingers touch her ribs and “bra line” again, after which she stood up and confronted Mr. Alexander. The woman was reseated by a Southwest flight attendant.
Mr. Alexander denied groping the woman when questioned by authorities. Though Mr. Hopkins’ affidavit notes that after being arrested and placed in the vehicle, Mr. Alexander mentioned that “the president of the United States says it’s OK” to inappropriately grab women.
Mr. Alexander was referring to the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape released during the 2016 election that captured Mr. Trump on a hot mic talking about being able to grab women’s genitals because of his celebrity status.
CBS News affiliate KHOU in Houston, Texas, first published the affidavit.
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