A New York Times columnist told a national television audience that President Trump bears blame for a campus rape that happened in October 2024, more than a year before he took office.
Quick Take
- New York Times columnist Michelle Cottle said on ABC that a culture of “thuggish” behavior toward women “starts” with the president, tying the comment to the Cornell University case.
- The alleged gang rape at a Chi Phi fraternity house happened in October 2024, while Joe Biden was president.
- Newly released Cornell documents show police condensed a 120-page interview transcript into a six-page summary for prosecutors, leaving out the accuser’s statement that she was “100 percent confident” she was raped.
- The Tompkins County district attorney declined to pursue additional evidence, and no criminal charges have been filed against the accused men.
- Critics across the political spectrum say the case shows institutional failure, even as commentators clash over who is to blame.
Cornell Case Resurfaces With New Documents
Cornell University turned over more than 1,000 internal records tied to a 2024 case now working through civil court. The woman, identified in filings as Jane Doe, says seven fraternity brothers raped her at a Chi Phi party in October 2024 after she was given alcohol and pressured to use ketamine. The documents include interview transcripts, screenshots, and police notes gathered during the original investigation.
Police Report Left Out Key Statement
Court filings show Cornell police interviewed Doe for about 120 pages but condensed that record into a six-page summary sent to prosecutors. That summary did not include her statement that she could say “with 100 percent confidence” she was raped. The Tompkins County district attorney later said the office would not review additional evidence beyond what was already submitted.
No Charges, Denials From the Accused
None of the men involved have been criminally charged. Prosecutors said the evidence available to them was insufficient, and the accused students have denied wrongdoing, with some saying any sexual contact was consensual. The case now continues as a civil lawsuit, with New York Attorney General Letitia James serving as special prosecutor after a later appointment by the governor.
Those unresolved facts have not stopped the case from becoming a political flashpoint far removed from the original 2024 allegations.
Columnist Links Trump to Campus Culture
Appearing on ABC, Times columnist Michelle Cottle said the glorification of “thuggish and swaggering” behavior that mistreats women “starts” with the president, directing viewers toward Trump during a discussion of the Cornell case. She did not point to any specific Trump policy, statement, or action connected to the October 2024 incident itself.
Backlash Points to the Timeline
Critics quickly noted that Joe Biden, not Trump, was president when the alleged assault happened. The Washington Examiner wrote that Cottle “offered no evidence connecting Trump to the alleged assault”. Fox News reported that online backlash centered almost entirely on that timing problem, with commenters calling the connection factually impossible given when the party took place.
Trump’s Own Comments Focus Elsewhere
Trump has weighed in on the case, but his remarks centered on the investigation itself rather than the underlying allegations. He called Attorney General Letitia James “a corrupt person” and said the accused students would not get “a fair shake” under her oversight. That comment focused on prosecutorial fairness, not on assigning blame for what happened at the fraternity house.
🚨 THE 'THUGGISH CULTURE' BACKLASH: NYT COLUMNIST MICHELLE COTTLE FACES FIERCE ONLINE REBUKE FOR CONNECTING ALLEGED CORNELL 7 GANG RAPE TO TRUMP'S RHETORIC! 🚨
A fierce media and cultural controversy has ignited across national airwaves and social platforms! New York Times… pic.twitter.com/kVAhGsh7Ge
— Boardroom Patriot (@nwmsound) October 6, 2026
A Case Both Sides Are Using
The dispute over Cottle’s comment reflects a wider pattern. Unresolved allegations, partial public records, and ongoing litigation leave room for commentators on every side to pick the facts that fit their argument. Meanwhile, the actual questions at the center of the case, how police handled the interview, why prosecutors never reviewed the full file, and whether Cornell’s disciplinary process worked as intended, remain only partly answered. Those gaps, not partisan blame, are what the court record and university documents can actually support right now.
Sources:
thegatewaypundit.com, nytimes.com, cnn.com, foxnews.com
