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Jonah Peretti's Claim On Ivanka Trump's Language

by Amée LaTour

On Wednesday, Buzzfeed founder Jonah Peretti tweeted in response to Ivanka Trump's surprise at her father's use of lewd language in reference to women, claiming that the candidate's daughter has herself used lewd language in his presence. Peretti accused her of using what is now considered a racial slur and the word "c*ck." The tweet shocked much of Twitter, including Ivanka herself.

In a statement sent to several media outlets, Ivanka denied ever saying what Peretti claimed she said, writing: I am not sure if this was meant to be a joke, but in case there is any ambiguity, this is a complete and total lie." Peretti made his claim after Ivanka said at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit that she found Donald Trump's language on women "a bit jarring," and stated, "That's not language consistent with any conversation I've ever had with him, certainly, or any conversation I've overheard." She was responding, of course, to the leaked audio of her father speaking casually about sexual assault in 2005.

Her father's campaign responded to the incident with its now-familiar accusation that the media is rigged against the candidate. In an email to Buzzfeed, Donald's campaign spokesman Jason Miller wrote: "What a little man and a disgraceful liar to smear Ivanka Trump like this. It shows just how far the media will go to tear down Mr. Trump's family, and we demand an apology." At the time of this writing, the tweet remains published.

Whether Ivanka said what Peretti claimed she did or not, it will likely have no impact on Donald's campaign. The candidate himself spoke about walking up to women and kissing them, saying he could even grab their private parts if he wanted because he is famous. There is a collection of sexist remarks he has made from 1990 to the present. And he referred to his own private parts during a Republican primary debate. Anyone who would be offended by lewd language has enough from the candidate himself to judge by.

Peretti's tweet is just one more bizarre, obscene moment in the 2016 race, which has been riddled with gross language and inappropriate sexual "humor" from the beginning.