Donald Trump, ladies and gentlemen:
Donald Trump bragged in vulgar terms about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women during a 2005 conversation caught on a hot microphone, saying that “when you’re a star, they let you do it,” according to a video obtained by The Washington Post.
The video captures Trump talking with Billy Bush, then of “Access Hollywood,” on a bus with the show’s name written across the side. They were arriving on the set of “Days of Our Lives” to tape a segment about Trump’s cameo on the soap opera.
The tape includes audio of Bush and Trump talking inside the bus, as well as audio and video once they emerge from it to begin shooting the segment.
In that audio, Trump discusses a failed attempt to seduce a woman, whose full name is not given in the video.
“I moved on her, and I failed. I’ll admit it,” Trump is heard saying. It was unclear when the events he was describing took place. The tape was recorded several months after he married his third wife, Melania.
“Whoa,” another voice said.
“I did try and f— her. She was married,” Trump says.
Trump continues: “And I moved on her very heavily. In fact, I took her out furniture shopping. She wanted to get some furniture. I said, ‘I’ll show you where they have some nice furniture.’”
“I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married,” Trump says. “Then all of a sudden I see her, she’s now got the big phony tits and everything. She’s totally changed her look.”
At that point in the audio, Trump and Bush appear to notice Arianne Zucker, the actress who is waiting to escort them into the soap-opera set.
“Your girl’s hot as s—, in the purple,” says Bush, who’s now a co-host of NBC’s “Today” show.
“Whoa!” Trump says. “Whoa!”
“I’ve got to use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her,” Trump says. “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — 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,” Trump says. “You can do anything.”
“Whatever you want,” says another voice, apparently Bush’s.
“Grab them by the p—y,” Trump says. “You can do anything.”
I don’t have any snark to bring for this. It’s hardly a surprise, given all we know about Donald Trump, though it’s still shocking in a way that I didn’t think I could still be shocked. The coordinated national Republican response has been rolled out, and I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot of it over the next thirty-something days.
And sure enough, Dan Patrick was quick to “condemn” Trump for what he said. Of course, there’s literally nothing Trump could say or do that would persuade Dan Patrick that Donald Trump is manifestly unqualified and incapable of being President, so take it for what it’s worth. That leaves Ted Cruz, John Cornyn, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton, George P. Bush, Sid Miller, and every other Texas Republican that has endorsed and worked to help elect Donald Trump to let us know what they have to say for themselves. Because as with Patrick, what they have to say about it will say a lot about themselves as well.
UPDATE: What Josh Marshall says.
Yes, this is clearly boorish behavior on the part of Trump. Let’s say every boast was true. At worst, for Trump, the treatment of women issue is a push, considering Bill’s record and Hillary’s record of demonizing and destroying Bill’s victims.
So, if we just agree that both candidates are morally bankrupt in this area, then we have to look at policy differences and their records to make our choice.
Ok…I agree it’s bad. However, I don’t think anyone said anything about Chris Mathews of hard ball talking about Trump’s wife. The left doing it is OK?
The new moral majority.
This is giving me flashbacks to Tom Wolfe’s “The Bonfire of the Vanities”.
Claytie Williams come to mind.
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Sheesh…forgot about Clayton Williams
Wasn’t Clayton the guy who was going to have prisoners bust rocks? Too bad we never got to try that idea out. I’m betting it would lower recidivism.
Is Chris Mathews running for president?
How many of give your wife the credit for all your good and bad?
Trump’s party will not win another national election for at least 16 years. When this is over there will be new blue states.
So keep dreaming, think Pete Wilson; https://youtu.be/N-aK6JnyFmk
A lot of posters here seem to be filing for moral bankruptcy with their comments.
You bankruptcy guys let me know what your conversation was like with your mother, wife, daughter or daughter-in-law when you discussed the topic.
I suspect we will hear crickets.
OK, here’s how it went when my elderly mother and I talked about it this morning (she brought it up).
5 minutes of Mom telling me she hopes this doesn’t hurt Trump because it would be just unfathomably horrific for the country if Hillary was to win.
1 minute of me telling Mom I agree.
A few minutes of Mom recounting Bill’s frequent flyer status on Pedophile Airlines as well as the long list of women Bill either assaulted or had consensual relations with, along with Hillary’s use of PI’s to assassinate their characters.
Another minute or two of me agreeing with her, followed by my promise to go cut her grass and help her with some other honey-dos around her house.
Want to hear about our conversations about any other subjects? We both agree the Texans are going nowhere this year, even before JJ got hurt.
Hillary is an enabler of a man who has done much worse than anything Trump claims he did.
That is nonsense Bill, what has Hillary done that is much worse?
An enabler, I guess you are because of your mother, she must have been your enabler. Does not make sense, we are all individual person. But to be sure I understand if you had an affair it would be your wife’s fault? If your wife had an affair it would be your fault?
Isn’t that what they have been saying about what would happen with Obama as president for eight years.
We survived eight years of Reagan, I am sure that we can survive eight years of Hillary. How did Bill leave the country when he left?
the Clinton presidency will certainly be studied and evaluated in terms of its major domestic success: eliminating the federal deficit and overseeing the strongest economy in recent memory. Although there has been some partisan debate about the extent to which the 1990’s boom can be attributed to Clinton, the mainstream interpretation now tends to give great credit to Clinton and his economic team, especially Robert Rubin of the National Economic Council and later the secretary of the Treasury, for uncommon fiscal discipline in 1993. These efforts fueled a period of confidence in the financial markets. http://millercenter.org/president/biography/clinton-impact-and-legacy
President, George W. Bush, took steps which reversed the nation’s fiscal position, from one of exceptional surpluses to one of exceptional deficits. Same article
That how America will be destroyed if a Democrat is elected does not make sense. When will Country come first for Bill who seem to think only their team can make it so?
I agree with Bill. The clintons are worse than Trump in my opinion. I can’t get past her blaming Benghazi on a video. A bold-faced lie. I didn’t care if Bill Clinton had sex with Monica. This is the same thing as that.
Neither here Nor there…..
“President, George W. Bush, took steps which reversed the nation’s fiscal position, from one of exceptional surpluses to one of exceptional deficits.”
I can’t argue with this statement. In fact as far as I am concerned when he did this he lost a lot of Republicans like myself. Utter incompetence. He raised the non-war part of the budget by 40%. No denying it. It is him and people like Romney, McCain, etc. that gave rise to Donald Trump. I don’t like George W. Bush.
Come on Paul, who has not made a mistake, she did not kill anyone, I have no idea how old you are but do remember Lebanon? http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/13/world/meast/beirut-marine-barracks-bombing-fast-facts/ Won’t even mention Bush and Iraq, oh I just did. Who does that all the time?
As to lies, which politician do you know that has not engaged in not telling the truth? Name one if you can. Is Hillary perfect no, but she is much better than Trump. He lies all the time.
@Neither:
What do you want from me? You asked, I told you the truth. Mom’s a Goldwater Republican. She voted for Dan Patrick, for God’s sake. I’m a Libertarian. She really wanted Cruz. She will settle for boorish Donald because he’s not Clinton. I, on the other hand, support Trump exactly for the same reason as millions of other Americans…..he’s a poke in the eye to the duopoly that has brought America to this point, a point where I look around, and I don’t like where we are. That means no more Clintons, no more Bushes, no more of the same, period. I never voted for either Bush, or for Bill. I voted for Gary Johnson last go-round, and voted Perot twice. I voted for Ron Paul. I vote on principle.
And if we need to bring Bill’s terms into it, OK. Compared to Bill, Obama’s terms have been a really radical departure. Oh, Obama brought change all right, just the wrong kind, IMHO. Bill governed during the congressional “Contract with America,” and also managed, for the most part (Bosnia excepted) to keep us out of war. Hillary is nothing like that, and neither is Congress. There is no bubble to keep the economy floating this time, there is no Congress dead set on a balanced budget period, Hillary opposes her husband’s tough on crime approach, and there isn’t relative peace in the world, either. Back then, Hillary’s attempt to take over health care failed. Now, that failure is a reality, a reality even Bill agrees has had negative impact on millions of ordinary Americans that aren’t on the dole, but aren’t super well off, either.
So that’s it. You wanted honest answers about a couple of deplorables, one of which you know via this blog. There they are.
@Neither:
Let’s talk about Beirut. It was tragic, but Reagan made the right call. What, exactly, was our business in Lebanon, anyway? He pulled our troops out of harms way. We didn’t belong there in the first place. That was the right call, even though the country was out for blood. That’s leadership.
Meanwhile, “Shrub” Bush (credit to Molly Ivans) felt like 9-11 gave him carte blanche to settle the score with Saddam, who made his daddy look bad, so he took us into the worst disaster since Vietnam…..and Hillary voted for it.
When people tell you there’s not a dime’s worth of difference between the (R)’s and the(D)’s, this is a prime example. Profligate spending? Hello? Bush led the way, and Obama, not to be outdone, went even further.
I give you the fact that Bush left the economy and our foreign policy in tatters, so some of that deficit spending was justified, but at some point, Obama has to own the deficit and foreign policy. He has failed on both…..just like George Bush. Why would I want to vote for someone who was a part of BOTH failures?
Trump is a tip of an iceberg. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/09/women-share-sexual-assault-stories-on-twitter-after-donald-trump-comments
Neither I am 50 and yes I remember Lebanon. I do think her actions or lack there of might have killed someone. It is like the O.J. Simpson case and Mark Firman. Once he was caught lying he couldn’t be trusted. Hillary was caught in a lie. I can’t trust her.
Trump started off slow, but he took the gloves off, and not only put Winnabagogate to bed, he took it to Clinton…..hard. Loved the pre debate presser with the Clinton’s victims!
That old adage about people who live in glass houses? Hillary and her team mates, the two moderators, should have thought about that. 3 on 1 and the Donald won at least as “bigly” as he lost round one.
“I know nothing about Russia.” D. Trump, 10/09/16
Reagan was warned and killed hundreds, The Republican Congress was warned about Benghazi but they cut funding for their defense, put the blame where it belongs.
Bill Libertarians are or should be for open borders, have you looked up the definition?
How many times has Trump been caught in a lie? Let me mention the one he constantly lies about, he was against the Iraq war. So Paul is it only when women lie and men get a pass. Because you are not being consistent.
By the way, I never voted for Bill Clinton for the same reason I will never vote for Donald Trump, they cannot keep their zipper closed. But Trump gives me more reasons.
Paul http://reverbpress.com/politics/gop-busted-benghazi-voted-massive-embassy-security-cuts-starting-2011/ SO maybe you need to quit voting Republican if you stick to your principles.
Bill you always misdirect, yes Bush was not right in going into Iraq, but I bet you voted for him, or did you vote for the libertarian? So since you are libertarian I am assuming that you will not vote for Trump?
Neither,
“So Paul is it only when women lie and men get a pass.” You are playing the Woman Card. Women can lead but can’t be criticized. Getting kind of touchy. So your insinuation is that I am
Male Chauvinist? Sounds like you are member of the NEW MORAL MAJORITY.
Furthermore, how do you know I always support Republicans? Check my Political Contribution History. You will see more of an independent approach.
It is the lying you can’t get past. Scream, shout, spit, and call people deplorable all you want but you can’t get past the fact that she promised to arrest the people who made the video about Mohammed that caused the riot that killed the Ambassador. That will never change.
GOP = LCD.
It is a sad commentary on a party that was once the party of Lincoln and T. Roosevelt that its nominee and supporters are undertaking such gutter actions and cheering it like it is a cage fight.
@Neither:
Yes I am a Libertarian. And like most people, I don’t agree with each and every plank of my party’s platform. The Libertarians are more on the open borders end of things, and that, I disagree with. I generally vote for the (L) candidate, but voted Constitution Party when Bob Barr ran on the (L) ticket. And of course I’m voting Trump this go-round.
No, I did NOT vote for Bush….any Bush….Ever. My favorite part of this primary season was that Jeb! got beat like a red headed step child.
@Brad:
I look at your nominee and laugh at the hypocrisy of you pointing out Trump went to the gutter. I laugh at Hillary thinking that releasing the Trump tape was a good idea. People in glass houses, you know? I’m just glad that got the Donald mad enough to lay into Hillary last night. The last time I saw a beat down that epic, it was Rodney King vs. the LAPD.
Bill,
Thank you for validating my earlier LCD reference with your continued comments. Nice classy racial slur regarding the LA riots which is actually off base in accuracy.
BTW Clinton is not my nominee. She is eminently qualified for the position though.
It is just abhorrent that the willfully ignorant voter wing of the GOP has nominated a complete and utter jackass. The GOP will suffer as a result for years to come.
Trump is that guy trying to bullshit his way through a job interview. It is glaring to 60% of the non-LCD interviewers, read = voters, that he doesn’t have the experience, qualifications, articulation, patience, temperment, character, moral fiber, policy understanding, to say the least of the basic understanding of the job responsibilities, for the position.
Bill,
Not sure what beat down you were talking about. I did see Meltdown Version 2 on screen last night. Not as fun as the original debate, but still entertaining in a creepy way. I did have to take a shower after hearing/watching Trump for 90 minutes though.
I’ve got my popcorn out now continuing to watch the post-debate coverage about the pragmatic common sense wing of the GOP fleeing Trump like the plague and calling it like it is regarding Trump.
Yes, of course, there will be a bigoted, ignorant, ethnocentric wing of wing nut voters that won’t be able to understand the dangers of a Trump presidency. That happens. Can’t do anything about that pesky IQ bell curve.
And, also, there will be unprincipled GOP candidates without moral courage and political leadership who won’t voice their true feelings about Trump out of concern of alienating the LCD base.
Brad:
You keep tossing out LCD, like you are the smartest guy in the room. You wanna talk LCD? Look at Hillary’s base. BLM terrorists. America hating Muslims like the Orlando shooter’s father who sat at a place of honor at her FL rally. Illegals and the anchors who love them. Whiny kids who need their safe space. The 47 million Americans on food stamps. These are your studied, learned peers who are ever so much more clever than the Trump supporters?
Thanks, but I’ll take my chances with the Trump folks. I’m far less likely to get mugged or have my house burned down by the Trumpers.
And since you found my example waycist, would you have preferred a comparison to the Reginald Denny beating? I didn’t use that example, because Denny, unlike Hillary, was a guy out there making an HONEST living.
And since we are putting our cards on the table, who exactly will you be pulling the lever for? What political party do you belong to, or most closely affiliate with? I’ve been pretty straight forward about where I am coming from and why I am voting Trump.
BLM are not terrorists.
Bill,
Wow, some unhinged (not to mention false) rantings. I wouldn’t put you in the same class as Trump, but Trump is certainly a pathological liar who compulsively tells lies and fabricates information. He is not be completely rooted in reality, believing the lies he tells, in order to remedy his low self esteem.
I am not the smartest guy in the room. But I am an “adult” rather a significant majority of Trump supporters who have not thoughtfully consider the ramifications of their support.
Why is it that legions of elected GOP office holders are running away from Trump? Why is it that scores of newspapers who have never endorsed a candidate other than Republican are endorsing Clinton and excoriating Trump in the strongest language? Why is that diplomats, ambassadors, American allies across the world are expressing their concern for the Trump?
Voting Gary Johnson…the most honest candidate of the top 4 candidates running. Certainly don’t agree with Johnson a number of issues, but he is an adult with character and integrity.
Paul I hit a raw nerve, didn’t I? I noticed that you did not answer the question, why is a lie by Trump forgivable but not one by Hillary. Is it because she is a woman or maybe because she has a D in front of her name, although you seem to indicate that is not the latter. So get as upset as you want, you and God know what is in your heart and you will be judged accordingly.
By the way Paul studies do show that Trump supporters tend to believe that a woman is beneath a man and should not be placed in a position above them, same as they think about Black people and other minorities.
Bill not a single major newspaper has endorsed Trump. Newspapers that had always endorsed a Republican endorsed Clinton. Most sane people know what a Trump as president would do for this country. Fortunately same people are now indicating that Trump will go down in defeat bigly. But there are still some that have not reached a level of maturity that allows them to see things as they are, it is obvious by the comments of some of the persons here.
@Voter:
I bet all the business owners who had their livelihoods destroyed would disagree with you. Do you think QT Convenience Stores see a difference between having their store blown up by a suicide bomber or burned down by blm?
Either way, the store is gone, the employees are out of work.
They are Bill ayers style domestic terrorists. They are why ordinary Americans are so worried about Hillary appointing SC justices who will overturn Heller.
Bill is saying BLM are terrorists the same as my claiming that all Republicans and or Libertarians are racists, bigots, xenophobes, and what ever nasty phobia exists out there?
Neither,
Studies have shown people who vote for trump are racist. Sheesh….that is a very racist comment. By the way what does LCD mean? I can’t keep up with all of these acronyms.
@Paul:
LCD = lowest common denominator
It’s a misogynist term, because it has to do with math.