US President Donald Trump has said he is the target of "false accusations and fabricated stories of women who I don’t know and/or have never met".
Mr Trump lashed out on Twitter a day after three women who previously accused him of sexual harassment shared their stories on NBC’s Megyn Kelly Today.
Despite thousands of hours wasted and many millions of dollars spent, the Democrats have been unable to show any collusion with Russia - so now they are moving on to the false accusations and fabricated stories of women who I don’t know and/or have never met. FAKE NEWS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2017
Trump also lashed out at Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who has called on him to resign over allegations of sexual misconduct.
Lightweight Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a total flunky for Chuck Schumer and someone who would come to my office “begging” for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them), is now in the ring fighting against Trump. Very disloyal to Bill & Crooked-USED!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2017
Ms Gillibrand told CNN yesterday that the allegations of sexual misconduct are credible and numerous and that Mr Trump should resign.
Senator Gillibrand quickly responded to Trump's tweet.
You cannot silence me or the millions of women who have gotten off the sidelines to speak out about the unfitness and shame you have brought to the Oval Office. https://t.co/UbQZqubXZv
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) December 12, 2017
The women, Jessica Leeds, Samantha Holvey and Rachel Crooks, urged Congress to investigate Mr Trump’s behaviour.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders pledged to provide a list of eyewitnesses whose accounts exonerated the president.
She did not provide the list by late Monday.
The allegations surfaced during last year’s presidential campaign, but the women raised the issue again on the Kelly show yesterday and at a news conference.
"It was heartbreaking last year," Ms Holvey said.
"We’re private citizens and for us to put ourselves out there to try and show America who this man is and how he views women, and for them to say, ’Eh, we don’t care’, it hurt."
The former beauty queen claimed that Mr Trump ogled her and other Miss USA pageant contestants in their dressing room in 2006.
Ms Crooks is a former receptionist at Trump Tower and Ms Leeds says she met Trump on a flight.
Sixteen women have come forward with a range of accusations against Mr Trump, many after the release of the Access Hollywood tape last October in which Mr Trump was caught on an open microphone bragging about groping women.
One woman, Summer Zevos, a contestant on Mr Trump’s reality show, The Apprentice, sued, contending that Mr Trump’s denials of her accusations amount to false and defamatory statements.