Photo by Chip Somodevilla
Former porn actor and reality television personality Donald Trump once bragged about coming on to and sexually assaulting women, insisting his star power enabled him to "do anything," including "[grabbing] them by the pussy."
The Washington Post on Friday published a recording of the Republican presidential nominee from a hot microphone during a 2005 conversation with Access Hollywood's Billy Bush while en route to the Days of Our Lives set for Trump to tape a cameo on the soap opera.
In the audio, newlywed Trump—whose third and current wife Melania would have been pregnant with his youngest son Barron—discussed aggressive attempts to seduce a married woman. “I moved on her and I failed. I’ll admit it ... I did try and fuck her. She was married ... And I moved on her very heavily," he recalls, adding: “I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there ... Then all of a sudden I see her, she’s now got the big phony tits and everything. She’s totally changed her look.”
“When you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything ... Grab them by the pussy." - Donald Trump, Republican Presidential Nominee
Bush and Trump continued engaging in vulgar banter during the clip, with Trump declaring that his despicable behavior is OK because of his fame. “When you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything," he says. "Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything."
Trump, who has had nearly as many wives as he's had campaign managers this year, has spent the past few months trying to somehow pin former president Bill Clinton's affairs to Hillary Clinton, telling the New York Times recently she was "an enabler."
As the Post points out, Trump maintained a very public affair with eventual wife Marla Maples while he was still married to first wife Ivana Trump.
Following the Washington Post story, Trump has issued a statement claiming this was simply "locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course—not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended." If anyone was offended.
Access Hollywood and NBCUniversal, which produces the show, have subsequently confirmed the woman Trump was crassly referencing in the audio was Nancy O'Dell, current co-host of Entertainment Tonight.
Update : Just after midnight EST, Donald Trump released a video response calling the leaked tape a "distraction" and then suggesting Bill Clinton is worse than he is, before promising, "I pledge to be a better man tomorrow." See the video below.
Hear the audio below. (Note: It includes language which is truly vulgar and deplorable.)
Donald Trump thinks "when you're a star" you "can do anything" to women? Well you can't make me vote for you, you misogynistic entitled pig.
— Emmy Rossum (@emmyrossum) October 7, 2016
As soon as Trump loses, GOP are gonna act like they were hostages & never liked him- "We couldn't do anything, he grabbed us by the pussy" https://t.co/l0dqdZNgEs
— Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) October 7, 2016
Holy shit.
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) October 7, 2016
Trump...might have just been defeated by a Bush. Never would've picked Billy, but I'll take it.
Hi @realDonaldTrump u actually CANT grab women "by the pussy" &youre a predator in every sense of the word. Cant lie yr way outta this one.
— jenny slate (@jennyslate) October 7, 2016
Speechless. America you deserve better than this piece of ?. https://t.co/DkgGpziupe
— Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara) October 7, 2016
If you're a male surrogate for Donald Trump, scheduled to be on TV spinning for him in the next few days, develop contagious pneumonia NOW!
— Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) October 7, 2016
"I moved on her heavy.........I took her furniture shopping". ?????? @realDonaldTrump
— lily allen (@lilyallen) October 7, 2016
Just for the record so we are all clear: Grabbing a woman's "pussy" uninvited is sexual assault. It goes far beyond locker room banter.
— Garbage (@garbage) October 7, 2016
I never heard him "apologize" for talking to me & others about his family member's spouse, and especially her breasts. THIS IS WHO HE IS. https://t.co/W9RH1otj0t
— ashley judd (@AshleyJudd) October 7, 2016
I'd love to play this Trump audio clip on my show, but on CBS you can't even say "grab." #TrumpBush2016
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) October 7, 2016
Make no mistake the comments were wrong and offensive. They are indefensible.
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) October 7, 2016
DJT is a malignant clown - unprepared and unfit to be president of the United States.
— Mark Kirk (@SenatorKirk) October 7, 2016