Trump trails Clinton by 12 points for first time

This is the highest for Clinton and the lowest for Trump since campaigns began

Poll conducted by Langer Research Associates from Thursday to Saturday among 1,391 adults, including 874 likely voters

59% reject Trump's claim that election are rigged and 65% disapprove his comments on not accepting results of election

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Trump trails Clinton by 12 points for first time

PTI

Cleveland

Hillary Clinton has managed a whopping 12-percentage point lead over rival Donald Trump in the US presidential race just weeks ahead of the election day, according to a new poll today which said that support for the Democratic nominee has touched 50 per cent for the first time.

ABC News/Washington Post poll said it was the highest for Clinton and the lowest for Trump since their campaigns began.

“Clinton leads Trump by 12 percentage points among likely voters, 50 to 38 per cent, in the national survey,” it said.

Trump has a high disapproval rating with 69 per cent of the likely voters disapproving of his response to accusations about his treatment of women, found the poll conducted by Langer Research Associates from Thursday to Saturday among 1,391 adults, including 874 likely voters.

The other two presidential candidates Gary Johnson has 5 per cent support, Jill Stein 2 per cent.

The poll came at a time when an adult film star accused the 70-year-old real-estate tycoon of unwanted sexual contact.

Further, the polls said more than half - 59 per cent - reject Trump's claim that the election was rigged against him and 65 per cent disapprove of his comments that he may not accept the results of the November 8 election.

And Clinton, 68, has said she does not want to respond to the remarks of Trump anymore and called his refusal to accept the results of the election unacceptable.

“We know in our country the difference between leadership and dictatorship, right? The peaceful transition of power is one of those things that sets us apart. And whether you support me or you support my opponent, together we must show that we support American democracy,” she has said.

According to the poll, Clinton leads Trump by 20 percentage points among women, 55-35 per cent.

She's gained 12 points (and Trump lost 16) from mid-October among non-college-educated white women, some of whom initially seemed to rally to Trump after disclosure of the videotape.

The former secretary of state has doubled her lead to 32 points, 62-30 per cent, among college-educated white women, a group that's particularly critical of his response to questions about his sexual conduct, it said.

On Trump's claim of a “rigged” election, 23 per cent of Republican likely voters say he's trying to make excuses in case he loses, rather than raising a legitimate concern; this view swells to 57 per cent among independents and 91 per cent among Democrats, the poll result said.

That said, 74 per cent of Republicans, and 84 per cent of Trump supporters, say it's a legitimate issue, it added.

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Adult film star accuses trump of sexual harassment

Cleveland (US): Another woman has accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct and alleged that she was offered USD 10,000 to come to his hotel room, threatening the Republican presidential nominee already fragile campaign, less than a month before the election day.

At a news conference in Los Angeles, Jessica Drake, an adult film actress, said that she met Trump ten years ago at a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, California.

She was then invited to his suite after which she went there along with some her women friends.

Drake, 42, alleged that Trump grabbed her and two other unidentified women tightly and kissed them without their "permission."

She was later offered USD 10,000 for coming to his room.

Later, an unknown person called on Trump's behalf, inviting her to come back to his room alone, which she refused.

"After I returned to my room, I received a call from a man calling on Donald's behalf. He said that Donald wanted me to come back upstairs to his suite. I indicated that I did not wish to return," she said.

"He asked me to return to his suite and have dinner with him. He also invited me to a party. I declined," she alleged. Donald then himself asked, "What do you want? How much?" offering USD 10,000, Drake, who was accompanied by attorney Gloria Allred, said.

Eleven women have so far accused Trump of sexual misconduct since the leak of 2005 video in which he is seen making lewd remarks about woman, prompting a rare apology from the Republican presidential candidate.

Meanwhile, the Trump campaign has refuted the charges claiming that the story is completely "false" and the "picture is one of thousands taken out of respect for people asking to have their picture taken with Trump."

"Trump does not know this person, does not remember this person and would have no interest in ever knowing her," the Campaign said.

"This is just another attempt by the Clinton campaign to defame a candidate who just today is number one in three different polls," it said.

"Anyone who would pay thugs to incite violence at a rally against American citizens, as was released on video, will stop at nothing. Just another example of the Clinton campaign trying to rig the election," said the Trump Campaign.

Terming the allegation against him as "total fabrication" Trump had said that he would sue all women who have made false allegations against him.

"They are trying to poison the mind of the American voters. Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign. Total fabrication, the events never happened, never.

"All of these liars will be sued after the election is over," he said.

"Just like we found out about these paid violent protesters, it was probably the DNC and the Clinton campaign that put forward these liars with their fabricated stories.

But we will find out about their involvement at a later date through litigation and I look so forward to doing that," Trump said.