The Republican Who Won Despite Late-Breaking Groping Allegations

An October surprise. Multiple women coming forward to accuse the Republican candidate of groping them. The ambitions of a political outsider imperiled.

Donald Trump, 2016?

The parallels between Schwarzenegger and Trump include a common antagonist — celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred.

Yes — but also Arnold Schwarzenegger, circa 2003. The Hollywood action star helped lead a recall effort against embattled incumbent California Gov. Gray Davis. Polls showed a majority wanted Davis out and that Schwarzenegger was the top choice among 135 possible replacements.

Then the Los Angeles Times published a blockbuster article quoting six women accusing Schwarzenegger of groping them years before. Schwarzenegger responded with a mix of denial, ignorance, and contrition. He said “most of it is not true” and professed a faulty memory about details that were decades old at the time.

“I don’t remember things that I’ve done or said 20 years ago,” he told reporters before a campaign rally at a San Bernardino elementary school. “I don’t remember things that I’ve done 30 years ago. And I said that many of the things that are in there are not true because that’s not my behavior.”

To things that might be true, Schwarzenegger said, “That’s why I said I want to apologize if I offended anyone, because that was not my intention.”

The language of the apology mirrors the words used by Trump in response to recently surfaced lewd comments caught on an open mic before the taping of an “Access Hollywood” episode in 2005.

As with Trump’s apology, many commentators jumped on Schwarzenegger’s. CNN’s Candy Crowley called it “a curious statement.”

Schwarzenegger’s suggestion that accusations against him were politically motivated — coming five days before the election — resembles complaints Trump voices now. The New York billionaire’s dismissal of the open mic comments as “locker room talk” are similar to Schwarzenegger’s explanation of his conduct as rowdy movie set behavior.

Schwarzenegger and Trump also share an antagonist in common — famed lawyer Gloria Allred. She represented one of Schwarzenegger’s accusers, although not until after the “Terminator” star had been elected. Allred represented Rhonda Miller in a defamation lawsuit filed in 2003. Eight years later, just after Schwarzenegger left office, she represented former child actor Gigi Goyette in a suit against him. Goyette alleged that she had sex with Schwarzenegger when she was just 16 years old and then started a relationship with him in 1989, three years after he married Maria Shriver.

Allred also represents one of the women who accused Trump of inappropriate sexual behavior. Former “Apprentice” contestant Summer Zervos alleged Friday that Trump kissed her and touched her breasts during a meeting about a possible job in 2007.

The groping allegations against Schwarzenegger did nothing to stop his 2003 gubernatorial bid. Californians voted overwhelmingly to recall Davis and then picked Schwarzenegger by a 17-point margin.

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It remains to be seen whether Trump can overcome the allegations against him. He currently trails by 5.5 points in the latest RealClearPolitics polling average. An ABC News/The Washington Post poll published Sunday shows that 68 percent believe Trump probably has made unwanted sexual advances and that most voters think his treatment of women is a legitimate issue. At the same time, 63 percent of respondents indicated that the “Access Hollywood” tape would make no difference in their vote.

It should be noted that there are key differences. First, the stakes are much higher. California is a big state, but the identity of the occupant of the governor’s mansion isn’t exactly comparable to the White House.

And while Schwarzenegger waffled somewhat in his denials, Trump has not conceded an inch. Although apologizing for his lewd comments, he steadfastly has denied making any unwanted sexual advance.