Stuck in an weeks-long media cycle defined by a series of allegations of predatory sexual behavior by Donald Trump, the Republican nominee has struggled to change the narrative. But given the chance to set the record straight at the final presidential debate Wednesday night, Trump seemed to make matters worse by claiming not to know any of the women, blaming the media for his scandal, and needlessly dragging his wife, Melania Trump, back into the mess.

“Well, first of all, those stories have been largely debunked. Those people, I don’t know those people. I have a feeling how they came, I believe it was her campaign,” Trump said, before accusing the “biased” media and the Clinton of engineering the allegations. “I didn’t even apologize to my wife who is sitting right here, because I didn’t do anything. I don't know any of these women.”

Clinton rebuked Trump’s assertion and slammed the G.O.P. nominee for suggesting at a rally last week that some of his accusers were too ugly to grope. “Donald thinks belittling women makes him bigger. He goes after their dignity, their self worth. And I don’t think there's a woman out there who doesn’t know what that feels like,” she said, before stressing the importance of bringing the country together. The United States, she said, should be a place where we people can “celebrate our diversity” rather than “pitting people one against the other.”

Trump, who has long claimed that he will be “the best” for women, was adamant about his record. “Nobody has more respect for women than I do. Nobody has more respect,” Trump insisted. “Frankly those stories have been largely debunked. This is all fiction, all fictionalized,” he added, before taking a swing at Clinton over her e-mails. But Clinton quickly turned the conversation back toward the countless personal attacks Trump has leveled throughout the election.

“He went after Mr. and Mrs. Khan, the parents of a young man who died serving our country, a Gold Star family, because of their religion. He went after John McCain, a prisoner of war, said he prefers ‘people who aren't captured,’” she said, gaining steam as she drew out a practiced line of attack. “He went after a federal judge, born in Indiana, but who Donald said couldn't be trusted to try the fraud and racketeering case against Trump University because his parents were Mexican.”


“It’s not one thing, it’s a pattern of divisiveness,” Clinton said, making a sort of closing argument to voters. “That is not who America is.”