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On October 7, 2016, one month before the
United States presidential election The election of the president and the vice president of the United States is an indirect election in which citizens of the United States who are registered to vote in one of the fifty U.S. states or in Washington, D.C., cast ballots not dire ...
, '' The Washington Post'' published a video and accompanying article about then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and television host
Billy Bush William Hall Bush (born October 13, 1971) is an American radio and television host. He is a member of the Bush family, a nephew of President George H. W. Bush and cousin of President George W. Bush and Florida governor Jeb Bush. After appearin ...
having "an extremely lewd conversation about women" in 2005. Trump and Bush were in a bus on their way to film an episode of ''
Access Hollywood ''Access Hollywood'', formerly known as ''Access'' from 2017 to 2019, is an American weekday television entertainment news program that premiered on September 9, 1996. It covers events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created ...
'', a show owned by NBCUniversal. In the video, Trump described his attempt to seduce a married woman and indicated he might start kissing a woman that he and Bush were about to meet. He added, "I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. ... Grab 'em by the
pussy ''Pussy'' is a used as a noun, an adjective, and—in rare instances—a verb in the English language. It has several meanings, as slang, as euphemism, and as vulgarity. The most common as a noun, it means "cat", as well as "coward or weaklin ...
. You can do anything." Commentators and lawyers have described such an action as sexual assault. News of the recording broke two days before the second 2016 presidential debate between Trump, the Republican nominee, and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Trump gave a statement in which he apologized for the video's content, but he attempted to deflect attention by saying that Bill Clinton had "said far worse to me on the golf course". The recording provoked strong reactions by media figures and politicians across the political spectrum. Statements from Republican officials were varied. Some, including Trump's vice-presidential running mate Mike Pence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and
Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...
Chairman
Reince Priebus Reinhold Richard Priebus ( ; born March 18, 1972) is an American lawyer and politician who served as White House Chief of Staff for President Donald Trump from January 20, 2017, until July 31, 2017. He also served as the chairman of the Republ ...
indicated their disapproval of Trump's words but did not renounce their support or call for his resignation from the ticket. Other Republicans, most prominently former presidential nominee John McCain, stated that they would no longer support Trump's presidential campaign, and some called for his withdrawal from the ticket. House Speaker Paul Ryan announced that he would no longer defend or support Trump's campaign, although he did not officially retract his endorsement of Trump. Bush was fired from his position as a host on the '' Today'' show, another show owned by NBCUniversal and aired on the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
television network, and several women made allegations of sexual misconduct against Trump. The release of the tape was regarded as an "
October surprise In U.S. political jargon, an October surprise is a news event that may influence the outcome of an upcoming November election (particularly one for the U.S. presidency), whether deliberately planned or spontaneously occurring. Because the dat ...
", influencing public opinion in the weeks before the election. According to a 2020 study, it reduced public support for Trump. However, Trump ultimately won the 2016 election.


Recording

The video was recorded in September 2005 in the NBC Studios parking lot while Trump was preparing to appear in an episode of the NBC soap opera ''
Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. The soap, which aired on ...
''. ''
Access Hollywood ''Access Hollywood'', formerly known as ''Access'' from 2017 to 2019, is an American weekday television entertainment news program that premiered on September 9, 1996. It covers events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created ...
'', a syndicated entertainment news program owned by NBCUniversal, conducted a behind-the-scenes interview with Trump about the guest appearance in which Trump and Bush arrived in a
tour bus A tour bus service is an escorted tour (sometimes a package holiday) or bus service that takes visitors sightseeing, with routes around tourist attractions. Information Double-decker buses and open top buses are commonly used, for provi ...
for the ''Access Across America'' series of segments produced in commemoration of the program's 10th season. It features audio of Trump talking with
Billy Bush William Hall Bush (born October 13, 1971) is an American radio and television host. He is a member of the Bush family, a nephew of President George H. W. Bush and cousin of President George W. Bush and Florida governor Jeb Bush. After appearin ...
, then co-anchor of ''Access Hollywood'', on a bus embellished with the show's name. Trump and Bush were wearing microphones, which recorded their casual conversation. Trump was later described as "apparently aware at the time that he was being recorded by a TV program". According to an ''Access Hollywood'' spokesperson, there were seven other people on the bus: a camera crew of two, the bus driver, the show's producer, a
production assistant A production assistant, also known as a PA, is a member of the film crew and is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production. The job of a PA can vary greatly depending on the budget ...
, Trump's security guard, and Trump's public relations representative. Upon arriving at the lot, the camera crew was let off the bus so they could record Trump and Bush disembarking and meeting with
Arianne Zucker Arianne Bethene Zucker (born June 3, 1974) is an American actress and model. She is known for playing Nicole Walker on the NBC daytime soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' since 1998. Early life Zucker was born in Northridge, California, and raised ...
, who portrayed
Nicole Walker Nicole Walker is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', a long-running series about working-class life in the fictional town of Salem. She was introduced in 1998 by head writer Sally Sussman Morina, and executive p ...
on the soap opera and appeared alongside Trump in the episode in which he guest starred.


Contents

In the video, Trump tells Bush about a failed attempt to seduce
Nancy O'Dell Nancy O'Dell (born Nancy Evelyn Humphries; 1966) is an American television host and entertainment journalist. She served as co-anchor of the syndicated entertainment news show ''Entertainment Tonight'' from January 3, 2011, to August 2, 2019. E ...
, who was Bush's co-host at the time (circa 2005) of the recording: Later, referring to
Arianne Zucker Arianne Bethene Zucker (born June 3, 1974) is an American actress and model. She is known for playing Nicole Walker on the NBC daytime soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' since 1998. Early life Zucker was born in Northridge, California, and raised ...
(whom they were waiting to meet), Trump says:


Publication

According to ''Access Hollywood'', the discovery of the video was prompted by "Mr. Trump's denial of claims contained in an Associated Press story in which 20 former ''
Apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...
'' employees described Mr. Trump's behavior toward women as lewd and inappropriate." An NBC source said that an ''Access Hollywood'' producer remembered the conversation on Monday, October 3, and located it in the show's archives. The celebrity news website ''
TMZ TMZ is a tabloid news website owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, originally as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. On September 13, 2 ...
'' reports a different chronology: when senior executives at NBC learned about the video, they thought it was too early in the presidential campaign season to release it with maximum effect, and (according to ''TMZ'') those executives publicly said they learned of the video long after they actually learned about it. NBC discussed whether to release the tape and had lawyers review the legality of the publication, as is common among other news media due to the possibility that the involved parties might file a lawsuit if the video was released. By Tuesday, October 4, NBC had drafted a story that it declined to broadcast for another three days. On Friday, October 7, at around 11 a.m., an unidentified source gave a copy of the tape to '' Washington Post'' reporter
David Fahrenthold David A. Fahrenthold (born 1978) is an American journalist who writes for ''The New York Times.'' Previously he wrote for ''The Washington Post''. He has also served as a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. In 2017, he was awarded the Pulit ...
, who contacted NBC for comment, notified the Trump campaign that he had the video, obtained confirmation of its authenticity, and released a story and the tape itself by 4 p.m. Alerted that the ''Post'' might release the story immediately, NBC News released its own story "mere minutes" after the ''Post'' story was published. By that evening, the ''Post'' story had become "the most concurrently viewed article in the history of the ''Post'' website" with more than 100,000 people reading it on the afternoon of October 7. The ''Post'' servers went offline for a short period that day due to the surge in web traffic. This story would later be one of the articles for which Fahrenthold received the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting.


Reactions

Reaction was swift, with Trump's general election opponent Hillary Clinton among the first political figures to respond to the tape, tweeting shortly after its release, "This is horrific. We cannot allow this man to become president." Clinton's VP running mate
Tim Kaine Timothy Michael Kaine (; born February 26, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Virginia since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 38th lieutenant governor of Virgi ...
said of the tape, "It makes me sick to my stomach ... I'm sad to say that I'm not surprised." At the second presidential debate two days later, Clinton said of the tape, "With prior Republican nominees for president, I disagreed with them, politics, policies, principles, but I never questioned their fitness to serve. Donald Trump is different." In the second episode of season 42 of '' Saturday Night Live'' (first aired on October 8),
Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nichol ...
parodied the controversy as Donald Trump.
Samantha Bee Samantha Anne Bee (born October 25, 1969) is a Canadian-American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actress, and television host. Bee rose to fame as a correspondent on ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'', where she became the ...
, the host of ''
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee ''Full Frontal with Samantha Bee'' is an American late-night talk and news satire television program that aired on TBS from 2016 to 2022. The show was hosted by comedian Samantha Bee, a former correspondent on ''The Daily Show''. In July 20 ...
'', reversed the gender roles in the video and issued an "apology" for the parodied video on Twitter. Singer-songwriter
Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, memoirist, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Top 40 U.S. hits include "Anticipation" (No. 13), "The Right Thing ...
donated her 1972 song " You're So Vain" for use in an anti-Trump
advertisement Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...
– the first time she has ever allowed its use for political purposes – and announced her opposition to Trump in response to the tape.


Media and legal profession attention

Touching a person's
genitals A sex organ (or reproductive organ) is any part of an animal or plant that is involved in sexual reproduction. The reproductive organs together constitute the reproductive system. In animals, the testis in the male, and the ovary in the female, a ...
without consent (also known as groping) is considered sexual assault in most jurisdictions in the United States. Many attorneys and media commentators characterized Trump's statements as describing acts of sexual assault.
Lisa Bloom Lisa Read Bloom (née Bray; born September 20, 1961) is an American attorney known for advising Harvey Weinstein amid various sexual abuse allegations, and for representing women whose sexual harassment claims precipitated the firing of Bill ...
, a sexual harassment expert and civil rights lawyer, stated: "Let's be very clear, he is talking about sexual assault. He is talking about grabbing a woman's genitals without her consent." Trump and some of his supporters claimed that Trump was not saying he committed a sexual assault, or denied that groping is sexual assault. Journalist Emily Crockett says that this is further evidence of a trend to minimize sexual assaults against women. John Banzhaf, a George Washington University public interest law professor, stated, "if Trump suddenly and without any warning reached out and grabbed a woman's crotch or breast, it would rather clearly constitute sexual assault," as indicated in Trump's statement "I don't even wait." It has been argued, however, that despite Trump having stated "I don't even wait," his full remarks could imply something akin to consent. This is pointed out by Trump's full remarks having included the statement "and when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything." It brought further media comment on Trump's history of criticizing women for their looks, among other remarks criticized as sexist. On October 8,
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by t ...
aired segments from multiple interviews Trump gave to ''
The Howard Stern Show ''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The show has aired on Howard 100 ...
'' prior to his political career in which he made comments similar to those on the ''Access Hollywood'' tape. In September 2004, Trump comments on his daughter Ivanka's body and, when asked, tells Stern that it is okay for him to call his daughter "a piece of ass".


Involved parties


Billy Bush

While the controversy has focused mainly on Trump, Bush also faced backlash as a result of the tape, mainly due to his statement that Zucker " shot as shit" and his goading her into hugging Trump after they get off on the bus. Bush received online criticism and calls for his resignation from ''
The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and Talk show, talk breakfast television, morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program de ...
'', where he was an anchor at the time. ''The Washington Post'' stated, "Bush's public image was damaged—perhaps beyond repair." There were so many negative comments on Bush's social media accounts following the tape's release that his Twitter account was taken down on the evening of October 7. That evening, Bush issued an apology, saying, "Obviously I'm embarrassed and ashamed. It's no excuse, but this happened eleven years ago—I was younger, less mature, and acted foolishly in playing along. I'm very sorry." The controversy has led to speculation that Bush's spot on ''Today'' could be in jeopardy, both because of the backlash against him on social media and the possibility that the tape's release could create a toxic work environment between Bush and the show's mostly female production staff.
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
executives confirmed on the evening of October 8 that Bush's job was safe and he would address the controversy on the October 10 episode of ''Today''. '' Politico'' noted that the audience of ''Today'' is disproportionately female so that a significant ratings drop in the wake of the controversy could still lead to Bush's dismissal. On Monday, October 10, NBC reversed course and announced that Bush would be suspended from ''Today'' indefinitely pending further review; as he was an anchor, his suspension was briefly addressed during that day's broadcast. One day later, on October 11, multiple media sources reported that NBC was "negotiating his exit". On October 17, NBC announced that Bush had resigned. Bush's status as a member of the
Bush family The Bush family is an American dynastic family that is prominent in the fields of American politics, news, sports, entertainment, and business. They were the first family of the United States from 1989 to 1993 and again from 2001 to 2009, and w ...
(specifically, as the cousin of former President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
and the nephew of former president George H. W. Bush) was also noted in the wake of the controversy. '' The Economist'' noted, "Who would have thought that Mr. Bush, a presenter of NBC's ''Today'' news show, could end up playing a more influential role in this election than his cousin Jeb, whom many Republicans had expected to win it?"


People and entities mentioned by Trump

Nancy O'Dell, the married woman of whom Trump spoke, said:
Politics aside, I'm saddened that these comments still exist in our society at all. When I heard the comments yesterday, it was disappointing to hear such objectification of women. The conversation needs to change because no female, no person, should be the subject of such crass comments, whether or not cameras are rolling. Everyone deserves respect no matter the setting or gender. As a woman who has worked very hard to establish her career, and as a mom, I feel I must speak out with the hope that as a society we will always strive to be better.
In response to having their product referenced by Trump on the tape,
Tic Tac Tic Tac (stylized as "tic tac") is a brand of small, hard mint manufactured by the Italian company Ferrero. They were first produced in 1969 and are now available in a variety of flavours in over 100 countries. Tic Tacs are usually sold in smal ...
issued a statement on Twitter stating, "Tic Tac respects all women. We find the recent statements and behavior completely inappropriate and unacceptable." Reacting to her unwitting role in this incident, Zucker wrote on TwitLonger, "How we treat one another, whether behind closed doors, locker rooms or face to face, should be done with kindness, dignity and respect."


Republican Party

The incident was condemned by numerous prominent Republicans.
Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...
(RNC) Chairman
Reince Priebus Reinhold Richard Priebus ( ; born March 18, 1972) is an American lawyer and politician who served as White House Chief of Staff for President Donald Trump from January 20, 2017, until July 31, 2017. He also served as the chairman of the Republ ...
said, "No woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner. Ever." The RNC suspended all support of Trump's campaign shortly thereafter. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, tweeted, "Hitting on married women? Condoning assault? Such vile degradations demean our wives and daughters and corrupt America's face to the world." Ohio governor John Kasich, a former primary rival to Trump, called the remarks "indefensible"; former Florida governor
Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 43rd governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. Bush, who grew up in Houston, was the second son of former President George H. W. Bush a ...
, also a former primary rival, called them "reprehensible". Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also denounced the video, but continued to support Trump. Paul Ryan, the House Speaker, disinvited Trump from a scheduled campaign rally, announced that he would no longer defend or support Trump's presidential campaign, and in a highly unusual move freed down-ticket congressional members to use their own judgment, saying "you all need to do what's best for you and your district"; he did not, however, withdraw his endorsement of Trump. Many members of the Republican Party rescinded their endorsements as a result of the release of the video, including Governors
Bill Haslam William Edward Haslam (; born August 23, 1958) is an American billionaire businessman and politician who served as the 49th governor of Tennessee from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Haslam previously served as the 67th mayor of ...
and
Robert J. Bentley Robert Julian Bentley (born February 3, 1943) is an American former politician and physician who served as the 53rd governor of Alabama from 2011 until 2017 upon his resignation after a sex scandal involving a political aide and subsequent arre ...
; Representatives
Bradley Byrne Bradley Roberts Byrne (born February 16, 1955) is an American business attorney and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Alabama's 1st congressional district from 2014 to 2021. Elected as a member of the state Board of Education ...
,
Jason Chaffetz Jason E. Chaffetz (; born March 26, 1967) is an American retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2009 until his resignation in 2017. He chaired the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from 2015 until 2017. Ch ...
, and
Joe Heck Joseph John Heck (born October 30, 1961) is an American physician and politician who served as the United States representative for Nevada's 3rd congressional district from 2011 to 2017. Heck is a United States Army major general and a board-ce ...
; and Senators Kelly Ayotte, Mike Crapo, and John McCain. Former California Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
, who had previously kept his opinion private throughout the campaign, released a statement: "For the first time since I became a citizen in 1983, I will not vote for the Republican candidate for president ... As proud as I am to label myself a Republican, there is one label that I hold above all else — American." By October 11, "nearly a third" of Senate Republicans said they would not vote for Trump. Other Republicans expressed continued support for Trump, including former 2016 Republican candidate
Ben Carson Benjamin Solomon Carson Sr. (born September 18, 1951) is an American retired neurosurgeon and politician who served as the 17th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 2017 to 2021. A pioneer in the field of neurosurgery, he ...
,
evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "born again", in which an individual exper ...
leaders Tony Perkins and Ralph E. Reed Jr., and former Trump
campaign manager {{Political campaigning A campaign manager, campaign chairman, or campaign director is a paid or volunteer individual whose role is to coordinate a political campaign's operations such as fundraising, advertising, polling, getting out the vote (w ...
Corey Lewandowski Corey R. Lewandowski (; born September 18, 1973) is an American political operative, lobbyist, political commentator and author who is politically associated primarily with Donald Trump. He was the first campaign manager of Trump's 2016 presi ...
. Other evangelical leaders, particularly the Southern Baptist Convention Ethics and Policy Director, Dr. Russell D. Moore, publicly rebuked evangelical leaders who still supported Trump. In a tweet,
Ted Cruz Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz served as Solicitor General of Texas fro ...
questioned why NBC, who had possession of the tape, sat on it for 11 years.


Calls to drop campaign

By October 8, several dozen Republicans had called for Trump to withdraw from the campaign and let his VP running mate, Mike Pence, take over the Republican ticket.Matt Canham & Thomas Burr
Utah Gov. Herbert and Rep. Chaffetz pull Trump endorsements, Huntsman says Trump should drop out after explicit video leaks
''Salt Lake Tribune'' (October 8, 2016).
Ali Vitali & Benjy Sarlin
Donald Trump Defiant as Top Republicans Flee Candidacy
NBC News (October 8, 2016).
Among those favoring a Pence takeover were former Utah Governor
Jon Huntsman Jr. Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. (born March 26, 1960) is an American businessman, diplomat and politician who served as the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the Ambassador of the United States t ...
, U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan of Alaska,
Cory Gardner Cory Scott Gardner (born August 22, 1974) is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician who served as a United States senator from Colorado from 2015 to 2021. A Republican, he was the U.S. representative for Colorado's 4th congressional dis ...
of Colorado and Deb Fischer of Nebraska, and U.S. Representatives
Jason Chaffetz Jason E. Chaffetz (; born March 26, 1967) is an American retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2009 until his resignation in 2017. He chaired the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from 2015 until 2017. Ch ...
of Utah,
Bradley Byrne Bradley Roberts Byrne (born February 16, 1955) is an American business attorney and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Alabama's 1st congressional district from 2014 to 2021. Elected as a member of the state Board of Education ...
of
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
, Rodney Davis of Illinois, and Ann Wagner of Missouri. Pence himself released a statement on October 8, saying, "As a husband and father, I was offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump in the eleven-year-old video released yesterday ... I do not condone his remarks and cannot defend them." However, he said he still supported Trump since he "has expressed remorse and apologized to the American people." Trump insisted he would never drop out. As of October 8, depending upon the state: * It was not possible to change the names on ballots at the late date for purely legal reasons. * Many general election ballots had already been printed, and it would be expensive to change them. * In states with early voting, thousands of ballots had already been cast. For these reasons, commentators said that it would have been very difficult, if not impossible, to replace Trump as the Republican nominee.


Withdrawal of political support

As the day wore on, a growing number of Republicans went beyond criticizing Trump's remarks or rescinding endorsements of him and began calling for Trump to drop out of the presidential race, ceding the Republican nomination to another person. On the afternoon of October 8, Trump responded with a tweet: "The media and establishment want me out of the race so badly - I WILL NEVER DROP OUT OF THE RACE, WILL NEVER LET MY SUPPORTERS DOWN! #
MAGA Maga or MAGA may refer to: MAGA * Make America Great Again, a political slogan famously used by Donald Trump * Museo MAGA, a modern-art museum in Gallarate, Italy * ''maga'', the logo of the Cornish Language Partnership The Cornish Languag ...
". The Republican National Committee continued to support Trump, and within the next couple of days, several of the Republicans who wanted Trump to drop out said that they were still voting for him.
Steve Bannon Stephen Kevin Bannon (born November 27, 1953) is an American media executive, political strategist, and former investment banker. He served as the White House's chief strategist in the administration of U.S. president Donald Trump during th ...
said in an interview on ''
60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique sty ...
'' that response to the controversy served as a "
litmus test Litmus test may refer to: * Litmus test (chemistry), used to determine the acidity of a chemical solution * Litmus test (politics), a question that seeks to find the character of a potential candidate by measuring a single indicator * Litmus Test ...
" for Trump's Republican allies. For example, according to Bannon,
Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, Lobbying in the United States, lobbyist, and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New J ...
was denied a Cabinet position because he said Trump's comments were "completely indefensible".


Trump's responses

Trump acknowledged making the remarks, but tried to deflect by saying that Bill and Hillary Clinton had said and done worse. After the release of the ''Access Hollywood'' video, Trump's first public response came in the form of a written statement published on his campaign website: Early on Saturday morning, October 8, Donald Trump issued a lengthier statement, released by video. In it, Trump said of the video's contents, "I said it, I was wrong, and I apologize." He went on to "pledge to be a better man" and ended the video with the allegation that Bill Clinton had "abused women", and that Hillary Clinton had bullied her husband's victims. Trump's video ended with assurances that the Clinton allegations would be discussed in coming days. Trump's statement was criticized severely by the media and members of the public as insincere, and an attempt to divert attention away from Trump's comments and onto unsubstantiated accusations against his political opponents. Trump tweeted the next day: "Certainly has been an interesting 24 hours!" On October 10, Trump was also questioned about the tape during the second presidential debate of his campaign. He reiterated that it was "locker room talk", then said, "I'm not proud of it. I apologize to my family. I apologize to the American people." Trump's wife Melania said, "The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me. This does not represent the man that I know." She added that she hopes "people will accept his apology, as I have". In 2017, it was reported that Trump had questioned the authenticity of the tape in multiple private conversations that year, including one with a Republican senator, even though he had already acknowledged that the voice was his, and apologized, after the tape was revealed. In January 2017, shortly before his inauguration, Trump told a Republican senator that he wanted to investigate the recording that had him boasting about grabbing women's genitals.


Effects and aftermath


Clinton–Trump debates

The release of the tape led to a renewed anticipation towards the October 9 debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton, as it would be the first time for each candidate to directly address the controversy. Less than two hours before the debate began, Trump held a surprise press conference in St. Louis with Paula Jones, Kathleen Willey, and
Juanita Broaddrick Juanita Broaddrick is an American former nursing home administrator. She alleged that she was raped by U.S. President Bill Clinton on April 25, 1978, when he (aged 32) was the Attorney General of Arkansas. Clinton's attorney, David E. Kendall, ...
, who have previously accused Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct, and Kathy Shelton, a rape victim whose rapist had been represented in the 1970s by Hillary, an appointed public defender. Describing the conference as his "debate prep", Trump described the women as "courageous" and "victims of the Clintons", with each of the women repeating their grievances with the Clintons. At the conference, Trump refused to answer journalists' questions about the ''Access Hollywood'' tape. Clinton's campaign dismissed the conference as "an act of desperation" and denounced Trump's "destructive race to the bottom". First Lady
Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...
said referring to the controversy, "It has shaken me to my core in a way that I couldn't have predicted." The ''New York Times'' reported that just before the press conference, advisers to the Trump campaign told
Reince Priebus Reinhold Richard Priebus ( ; born March 18, 1972) is an American lawyer and politician who served as White House Chief of Staff for President Donald Trump from January 20, 2017, until July 31, 2017. He also served as the chairman of the Republ ...
that Trump had to leave to attend a "meet and greet" because they feared that "Priebus would object if he knew the truth". Campaign chairman Steve Bannon told Trump, " roaddrick, Jones, Shelton, and Willey aregoing to rub up on you and be crying... d you're going to be empathetic." In response, Bannon recalled, Trump closed his eyes, moved his head back "like a Roman emperor", and said "I love it". Juanita Broaddrick told the ''Times'' she had "no idea what we were going in there for... t that doesn't matter. I would do it all again." During the debate itself, co-moderator
Anderson Cooper Anderson Hays Cooper (born June 3, 1967) is an American broadcast journalist and political commentator from the Vanderbilt family. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news broadcast show ''Anderson Cooper 360°''. In addition to his duties at C ...
pressed Trump about whether the conversation on the tape meant that Trump had committed sexual assault. Trump said it "was locker room talk" and "I'm not proud of it," and said he wanted to move on to other things, but finally responded "I have not."Fact Check: Clinton and Trump debate for the second time
NPR (October 9, 2016).
It was later revealed that Trump had arranged for the women from his press conference to sit in his family box and that they were to walk into the audience at the same time as Bill Clinton and confront him on live TV, but debate officials intervened and prevented the planned stunt from happening. The Associated Press later reported that Willey and Shelton had previously been financially compensated by Trump ally
Roger Stone Roger Jason Stone (born Roger Joseph Stone Jr.; August 27, 1952) is an American conservative political consultant and lobbyist. Since the 1970s, Stone has worked on the campaigns of Republican politicians, including Richard Nixon, Ronald Rea ...
during the campaign.


Assault stories

Shortly after the story first broke on October 7, Canadian writer
Kelly Oxford Kelly Oxford is a Canadian author, director, and screenwriter. Career In 1996, Oxford dropped out of Mount Royal University after one semester. She started blogging as a means of daily productivity and self-publishing. She later worked as a wai ...
posted on Twitter, "Women: tweet me your first assaults. they aren't just stats."See: * * Within hours, the tweet had gone viral, receiving thousands of responses, many of them relating to stories of sexual assaults on women. Over 30 million people viewed or replied to Oxford's tweet within a week.


Response of athletes and coaches

Numerous professional athletes and coaches rejected Trump's claim that what he said on the tape was "locker room talk", saying that such comments were not normal or acceptable.Cydney Adams
Professional athletes cry foul over Trump's "locker room talk"
CBS News (October 10, 2016).
Los Angeles Clippers head coach
Doc Rivers Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers (born October 13, 1961) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing for Marquette Universi ...
said, " f Trump's comments are locker room talkthat's a new locker room for me." Oakland Athletics pitcher Sean Doolittle tweeted, "As an athlete, I've been in locker rooms my entire adult life and uh, that's not locker room talk."
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The t ...
wide receiver
Chris Conley Christopher Lane Conley (born February 29, 1980) is an American musician who is the lead-singer/rhythm guitarist of the rock band Saves the Day. He was the only remaining original member as well as major artistic contributor throughout their car ...
tweeted, "Just for reference. I work in a locker room (every day) ... that is not locker room talk. Just so you know..."
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brookl ...
pitcher
Brett Anderson Brett Lewis Anderson (born 29 September 1967) is an English singer best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the band Suede. After Suede disbanded in 2003, he fronted The Tears with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler in 2004-2 ...
tweeted, "What kind of fucked up locker rooms has Donald Trump been in..." NBA point guard Kendall Marshall tweeted, "PSA: sexual advances without consent is NOT locker room talk."Alana Horowitz Satlin
Pro Athletes Say No One Talks Like Trump in Locker Rooms
HuffPost (October 10, 2016).
LA Galaxy midfielder
Robbie Rogers Robert Hampton Rogers III (born May 12, 1987) is an American former professional soccer player. He played as a winger and as a left back. Rogers has also represented the United States men's national soccer team. In February 2013, Rogers came ou ...
tweeted, "I'm offended as an athlete that @realDonaldTrump keeps using this "locker room talk" as an excuse." Olympic hurdler and sprinter
Queen Harrison Queen Quedith Claye née Harrison (born September 10, 1988) is an American hurdler and sprinter who competed in the 400 metres hurdles at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She was a six-time collegiate All-American at Virginia Tech where she was electe ...
tweeted, "Locker room talk,' 'Boys will be boys,' 'Harmless banter.' These are not valid excuses for behavior. Never have been, never will be."
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
tight end
Jacob Tamme Jacob Francis Tamme ( ; born March 15, 1985) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at Kentucky and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Tamme also played for the Denver ...
tweeted, "It's not normal. And even if it were normal, it's not right." These responses also prompted the creation of the hashtag #NotInMyLockerRoom. Eleven months after the footage was leaked, retired professional boxer Floyd Mayweather defended Trump's comments stating, "People don't like the truth ... He speak like a real man spoke." He added, "So he talking locker room talk. Locker room talk. 'I'm the man, you know what I'm saying? You know who I am. Yeah, I grabbed her by the p---y. And?'"


Anti-Trump memes and campaigns

The backlash from the comments prompted a "Pussy Grabs Back" hashtag urging women to vote against Trump on Election Day. Anti-Trump memes featuring cat imagery spread on social media. ''The Guardian'' wrote that an image of a snarling cat became a "rallying cry for female rage against Trump". Trump's denial that he ever kissed or groped women without consent led to more accusations by several women that Trump sexually assaulted them. Trump's campaign denied the allegations. In response to the recording, Shannon Coulter started a viral campaign called #GrabYourWallet, which urges individuals to
boycott A boycott is an act of nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organization, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for moral, social, political, or environmental reasons. The purpose of a boycott is to inflict so ...
various companies that sell Trump related products. Various companies have since dropped Trump's products in response to the boycott, including Shoes.com, Nordstrom,
Bergdorf Goodman Bergdorf Goodman Inc. is a luxury department store based on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York. The company was founded in 1899 by Herman Bergdorf and was later owned and managed by Edwin Goodman, and later his son, Andrew Goodman. ...
, and
Neiman Marcus Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. is an American integrated luxury retailer headquartered in Dallas, Texas, which owns Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Horchow, and Last Call. Since September 2021, NMG has been owned by a group of investment compan ...
.


Alleged other tapes

On October 9, former staffers of Trump's reality show '' The Apprentice'' and journalist Geraldo Rivera said that they both individually have more damaging tapes of Trump, but did not say if they would be released to the public. Rivera later stated that he had searched his files and that he could not find anything relevant to the scandal. Since the tape's release, Bill Pruitt, a producer of the first two seasons of the television series ''The Apprentice'', claims there is behind-the-scenes footage of Trump saying things that are "far worse". NBCUniversal's news division does not have access to the archives of the series. Another ''Apprentice'' producer,
Chris Nee Christine Nee is an American children's television screenwriter and producer. Nee is best known as the creator of ''Doc McStuffins'', which she conceived as ''Cheers'' for preschoolers. She has previously worked as an associate producer on sever ...
, claimed on Twitter that Trump said "the N-word" in the archived footage. Nee later deleted the tweet. A
GoFundMe GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the be ...
campaign was launched on October 9 with the goal of raising $5.1 million to release more tapes. The campaign is known as the "Trump Sunlight Campaign". Nee wrote on Twitter to Mark Cuban that there is a $5 million penalty fee if the footage is leaked. David Brock also offered to pay the penalty to release the alleged tapes from ''The Apprentice''. By election day, the "Sunlight campaign" had raised $40,000. No tape was found as a result of the campaign. In December 2017, the organizer Aaron Holman posted an update stating that he will donate $25,000 of the fundraised amount to The Nation Institute, with the remaining used to reimburse expenses of "investigative work" done by the campaign.


See also

*
Donald Trump sexual misconduct allegations Donald Trump, the president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, has been accused of rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment, including non-consensual kissing or groping, by at least 25 women since the 1970s. The accusations have resulte ...
* 2017 Women's March * Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump scandal * Protests against Donald Trump * Tiny Hands * Me Too movement


References


External links

* * {{Trump presidency 2000s in Los Angeles County, California 2005 in American television 2005 in California 2005 works 2016 controversies in the United States 2016 scandals Articles containing video clips Burbank, California Controversies of the 2016 United States presidential election Donald Trump controversies, Access Hollywood tape Entertainment scandals Political controversies October 2016 events in the United States Federal political sex scandals in the United States, T September 2005 events in the United States Sexual harassment in the United States Television controversies in the United States Obscenity controversies in television Political controversies in television