Trump: grabs women
Trump, who has a documented history of lewd remarks, including repeatedly and routinely making crass remarks about women during the making of his reality show ‘The Apprentice,’ released his video Friday at midnight. It was in response to a recording from 2005 the Washington Post posted online yesterday, in which he speaks of grabbing women, without their consent, “by the pussy.”
Also posted on his Twitter page, in his video apology he begins saying he never said he was perfect “nor pretended to be someone that I’m not.” He says he regrets his words on the “decade-old video” and apologizes for them. Despite his history, he then insists “anyone who knows me” would know his words were out of character, suggesting his lewd remarks were a one-off.
In typical political spin fashion, Trump then talks of his travels in America during the campaign, relating that he is doing so in order to fix a broken country and to help people’s lives improve. He ends his video statement with an attack on Bill Clinton, who he says has abused women, and on Hillary Clinton.
“I’ve said some foolish things,” the GOP nominee for president tells the camera. “But there’s a big difference between the words and actions of other people. Bill Clinton has actually abused women.”
Trump accused of rape
Trump, who has had accusations of sexual assault made against him and has a rape charge before the federal courts (details of that unproven charge can be read here, of other sexual assault charges here) was in a touring bus when the 2005 recording was made. He is heard talking but not seen until alighting from the bus. He may have been unaware his words spoken on the bus were being recorded.
In the lewd recording Trump talks with Billy Bush, a host on ‘Access Hollywood’ at the time, now on the NBC morning show, about how he “did try and fuck” a married woman, who he says that he “moved on…like a bitch” but was unable to convince to have sex with him. He says the unidentified woman since got “phony boobs.” He also talks about kissing women, without their consent.
“You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful,” Trump said. “I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.'”
When the recording came out yesterday Trump, who’d told Jimmy Fallon last year that he never apologized because “I’m never wrong,” initially tried to downplay it, calling it “locker room banter” and “a private conversation that took place many years ago.”
In his initial statement, he added that “Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course – not even close.” Since releasing that statement reaction to the lewd recording grew in the media, online and even within his own party and Trump huddled with handlers and decided to release his midnight video.
While apologizing for his lewd comments, Trump also dismissed them, saying they were “nothing more than a distraction from the important issues we’re facing today.” The lewd recordings, however, set off a firestorm online and have caused many Republicans to disavow Trump, including Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney.
Some members of the GOP, and others, called for the self-proclaimed billionaire to step down and allow V.P. nominee Mike Pence to take over the ticket. Trump told the Wall Street Journal there is “zero chance” of him quitting the race.
