Don & Dirty
Outrage at Trump’s vulgar vid comments
Donald Trump’s presidential campaign was in turmoil Friday after a 2005 video clip surfaced of him speaking in crude terms about groping, kissing and trying to bed women, including soap opera star Arianne Zucker (above with Trump in the clip).
Donald Trump’s campaign was thrown into chaos Friday when a 2005 video surfaced of him boasting of his attempt to “f- -k” a married woman and claiming that other women let him grab them by the “p- - -y” because he’s a “star.”
The vulgar video, obtained by The Washington Post, was said to have been recorded Sept. 16, 2005, and captures Trump bantering with then-“Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush as they rode a bus to meet “Days of Our Lives” star Arianne Zucker.
Its release created a sensation just two days before the next presidential debate in St. Louis — and caused several high-profile Republicans to turn on him. Some even told him to step down.
“You know, I moved on her, actually,” Trump is heard saying of a woman — later identified as “Entertainment Tonight” host Nancy O’Dell — as the bus pulls into a parking lot.
“I moved on her and I failed. I’ll admit it,” he continues. “I did try and f- -k her. She was married.”
Bush, now a co-host of NBC’s “Today’’ show, responds, “That’s huge news.”
“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,’ ” Trump adds to laughter.
“I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there, and she was married. And then all of a sudden I see her, she’s now got the big phony t- -s and everything.”
Trump had been scheduled to make a cameo on the soap opera and wore a microphone as “Access Hollywood” trailed him.
“Your girl’s hot as s- -t, in the purple,” Bush says — apparently of Zucker.
“Whoa!” Trump replies. “I’ve gotta use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her . . . 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. You can do anything . . . Grab them by the p- - -y.”
The two men come into view as they exit the bus to meet Zucker.
“How about a little hug for The Donald?” Bush asks the soap-opera star. “He just got off the bus.”
As Zucker air-kisses him, Trump comments, “Melania said this was OK.” Trump married Melania, his third wife, in January 2005.
O’Dell is not named in the video, but “Access Hollywood” host Natalie Morales reported Friday that he was referring to the “Entertainment Tonight” host.
Two years after the incident, Trump attempted to fire O’Dell as the host of “The Miss USA Pageant” because she was pregnant.
Trump appeared to confirm the validity of the recording on Friday and offered a rare video apology — before launching an attack on the Clintons.
“Anyone who knows me, knows these words don’t reflect who I am. I said it. I was wrong, and I apologize,” Trump said on the video released late Friday.
“I never said I’m a perfect person nor pretended to be someone that I’m not. I’ve said and done some things I regret and the words released today on this more than a decade-old video are one of them,” Trump said.
“I said some foolish things but Bill Clinton has actually abused women and Hillary has bullied and intimidated his victims. We will discuss this more in the coming days.”
The GOP candidate came under an avalanche of criticism from members of his own party.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee, who was floated as a possible Supreme Court nominee by Trump, released a video on Facebook shortly after Trump’s apology that excoriated the former reality TV star.
“It’s occurred to me on countless occasions today that if anyone spoke to my wife or my daughter or my five sisters like the way Mr. Trump has spoke to women, I wouldn’t hire that person, I wouldn’t want to be associated with that person,” Lee said.
“You, sir, are the distraction. Your conduct is the distraction . . . Mr. Trump, I respectfully ask you, with all due respect, to step aside. Step down.”
Virginia Rep. Barbara Comstock also called for Trump to exit the race.
“This is disgusting, vile, and disqualifying,” Comstock said in a statement.
“No woman should ever be subjected to this type of obscene behavior and it is unbecoming of anybody seeking high office. In light of these comments, Donald Trump should step aside and allow our party to replace him with Mike Pence or another appropriate nominee from the Republican Party.”
Before Trump aired his apology video, Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz told Utah’s Fox 13 News that Trump’s words were “some of the most abhorrent and offensive comments that you can possibly imagine.”
“And why should we tolerate this?” Chaffetz asked. “This is the presidency of the United States of America: I just can’t do it.”
Also asking Trump to step aside was Republican Rep. Mike Coffman from Colorado and GOP Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois.
A source told AP that Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, was “beside himself,” and Pence’s wife was furious.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called the comments “repugnant,” and House Speaker Paul Ryan (RWis.) said he was “sickened” by the remarks.
Ryan said Trump would not be appearing with him at a scheduled event in Wisconsin. Pence will be attending in Trump’s place.
The debacle created concern about the second presidential de- bate scheduled for Sunday night.
Trump assured supporters he would attend the town hall style debate, but it was unclear whether he would use the opportunity to trash Hillary Clinton’s husband for his many alleged sex scandals.
After being disinvited from the event with Ryan in Wisconsin, Trump said he would remain in New York to prepare for the debate, with RNC chair Reince Priebus, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama. Earlier in the day Priebus himself had called Trump’s comments “indefensible.”