Story highlights Trump tweeted that Gillibrand would "do anything" for campaign contributions

Gillibrand called on Trump to resign amid accusations of sexual misconduct

(CNN) President Donald Trump's showdown with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand shows that the cultural moment triggered by allegations of sexual harassment is the most vibrant and emotional issue in politics.

Their public feud, which featured Democratic claims that the President made a distasteful sexual reference about the New York senator in a tweet, also carries long-term implications and previews some of the arguments that are likely to dominate the early exchanges of Trump's 2020 re-election race.

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Both sides clearly have an incentive to keep the fight going.

Gillibrand took another big step towards greater national recognition by demanding Trump's resignation over sexual harassment allegations and punching back just as hard at his inevitable fierce counterattack.

The President, who always seems to prosper when he has an identifiable enemy, now has a new foil for his personal gallery of political enemies. In fact, Gillibrand's acquisition of a mocking nickname might be a sign that Trump views her as a long-term political threat. "Lightweight" Gillibrand joins "low energy" Jeb Bush "Little" Marco Rubio, "Crooked" Hillary Clinton and "Rocket Man" Kim Jong Un.

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