The Associated Press reports on Donald Trump’s talking about Hillary Clinton’s role in her husband’s rape and sexual harassment scandals. Perhaps recognizing that some people might consider being an accessory to rape and sexual assault more serious failings than talking crudely about women, the AP doesn’t take any chances. You almost have to read between the lines to extract the story from the spin:

Hours before a make-or-break presidential debate, a defiant…

“Defiant” means he is in trouble, his back against the wall.

…Donald Trump unleashed an aggressive — and politically dangerous —…

So pointing out that Hillary was deeply involved in Bill’s rape and sexual harassment scandals is politically dangerous to Trump? Might there not be some political danger to Mrs. Clinton? The AP apparently thinks not.

…personal attack on Democrat Hillary Clinton Sunday…

When eleven-year-old video of Trump talking crudely was released, was it a “personal attack”? No. But Trump’s criticism of Hillary Clinton is.

…by seizing on…

“Seizing on” warns the reader that the person in question, Trump, is desperate and the issue he is seizing on is not important or meritorious.

…unsubstantiated rape allegations…

The rape allegation is substantiated by the victim, Juanita Broaddrick. If the AP means that there weren’t any corroborating witnesses to the rape, that is true. As with most rapes, there were only two people present–the rapist and his victim. But calling Mrs. Broaddrick’s story “unsubstantiated” is intended to suggest that it has failed some test of veracity, which is false.

…levied against her husband years ago.

The “years ago” is a nice touch, given that the video that supposedly has ended Trump’s chance for the White House dates from 2005.

The pointed and unproven charge against Bill Clinton…

There they go again! Mrs. Broaddrick’s testimony is evidence that the rape occurred. Bill Clinton, on the other hand, has denied that a rape took place. Whether the charge is “proven” depends on one’s assessment of Mrs. Broaddrick’s credibility. If you think she is a truthful witness, the charge is proven. By calling it “unproven,” the Associated Press is coming down on Bill Clinton’s side, even though he is a notoriously untruthful person.

…outlined in an interview that Trump tweeted, marks a dramatic escalation of an already nasty campaign…

The dramatic escalation wasn’t the release of the Trump video, it was Trump’s pointing out that Hillary has a long history as an enabler of her husband’s career as a sexual predator. So Trump is the one dragging the campaign into the gutter.

…as Trump seeks to deflect fallout from his own sexually predatory comments.

Got that? No substance to Trump’s claims, he is simply trying to “deflect” attention from his own “predatory comments.” And note what a strange phrase that is. How can a comment be predatory? Actual predatory behavior (not comments) was shown by Bill Clinton when he raped Juanita Broaddrick, grabbed Kathleen Willey’s breast, and sexually harassed Paula Jones. But the AP wants you to think that such criminal conduct is minor (and in any event “unproven”), whereas Donald Trump’s crude bluster is “predatory.”

There is much more, but you get the point. I would continue, but the spin is making me dizzy.