Billy Bush on notorious Trump tape: It wasn't 'locker room talk'

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico



By LOUIS NELSON 05/22/2017 08:06 AM EDT

The infamous “Access Hollywood” tape on which President Donald Trump can be heard describing in vulgar detail how his celebrity allowed him to sexually assault women with impunity was not “locker room talk,” as then-candidate Trump suggested, according to the other man on the tape, former NBC host Billy Bush.

Bush, who was fired from his job on NBC’s “Today” show shortly after the tape’s publication last October, described in an interview published over the weekend by The Hollywood Reporter how the 2005 tape derailed his career and led to months of reflection that included a week-long stay at a self-help retreat in California. He noted that the “irony is glaring” that the tape proved so damaging to his career while Trump, who actually made the inflammatory comments while Bush chuckled, went on to win the presidency in spite of it.

Trump offered a rare apology for his remarks on the tape and chalked them up to “locker room talk,” a characterization that Bush disputed.

“I'm in a lot of locker rooms, I am an athlete, and no, that is not the type of conversation that goes on or that I've participated in,” he said. Instead, Bush told The Hollywood Reporter, Trump’s comments were typical of the Manhattan billionaire. Bush was unable to recall another instance of the now-president speaking quite so inappropriately about women, “but he's a provocateur. Shocking statements flow like wine from him.”



Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/22/billy-bush-explains-trump-tape-238666

[Jim Dandy]

1. Good to see the old pussy grabber story getting revived

Benedict Donald has had many fine moments, but this was one of his very best. When monsters go wild.

[Achilleaze]

2. not locker room talk, but definitely republican talk

And to think that Comrade Casino, the republican Draft Dodger-in-Chief, is the freaking republican 'family values' role model. That is sad. republican values are, frankly, degenerate.

[keithbvadu2]

18. republican 'family values' role model

Akin to child molester Dennis Hastert and serial adulterer Newt Gingrich.

Don't forget Henry Hyde's 'youthful indiscretions' at age 41.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/henry-hydes-youthful-indiscretion-excuse-finds-new-application-36941891519

[wishstar]

3. Definitely ironic that Billy Bush was punished while Trump emerged unscathed

I am wondering if Trump will ever face any true accountability or responsibility for his actions

[Hortensis]

4. I think "irony" is supposed to evoke "unfair" in this case.

Sorry you lacked a huge power base to protect you from the consequences, Billy. NOT! .

You deserve it even though everyone knows why you were behaving that way. That woman who met him was all tricked out to suck up to Rump in very much the same manner and for the same reasons you were. Just the luck of the draw that Rump didn't require her to giggle and smirk approvingly at the same comments, or perhaps would she have tried to change the subject. Bet she knew to avoid sitting next to him in that dress, or any other.

[mountain grammy]

5. "flow like wine"

more like diarrhea.

[hibbing]

6. He's an athlete? haha n/t

[NewJeffCT]

13. Not to defend Bush, but he played lacrosse all 4 years in college

from wikipedia:

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Government from Colby College in 1994.[1] He was also a four-year letterman and a two-time co-captain as a junior and senior with the Mules' men's lacrosse team.[7][8] As of 2017, he is 4th (182), 8th (97) and 4th (85) in career points, goals and assists respectively in program history and was a first-team All-NESCAC in 1994.[9]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bush

[hibbing]

16. Okay, thanks, just thought it was funny for him to say that

[NewJeffCT]

17. he's not a professional athlete

but, neither is Trump.

That was another one that press dropped too quickly. Yes, there was a huge outrage, but then he apologized and said it was locker room talk and it basically went away.

[IrishEyes]

7. There were a lot of professional athletes that said it was not locker room talk.

As well as the vast majority regular men who have been in a locker room. The locker room talk excuse was ridiculous.

[Javaman]

8. so he's angry because the orange menace free pass while he, a bush, didn't

moron.

[turbo_satan]

9. Everything Trump touches dies

h/t @theRickWilson

[LittleGirl]

10. He giggled. He's done

poor little snowflake got a week at a retreat to think about his misdeeds. what a crock.

[IronLionZion]

11. Bush isn't innocent, but the punishment was estremely one-sided

Bush loses his job while tRump gets to be the grabber in chief actually does more harm by normalizing it and encouraging more of it. If the president gets to do it and says its OK if you're rich and famous, then so can you!

[LisaM]

12. Exactly. That seemed unfair to me, too.

If one goes down, they should both have gone down.

[eissa]

14. Any reason why he didn't say this when the tape was leaked?

Lots of good his comments do now

[Dave Starsky]

15. He didn't think his career would be ruined.

I'm willing to bet that if he could do it all over again, he would, but this time make sure that no tape got out.

[3catwoman3]

19. I will never, try as I might, understand why this...

...completely vulgar statement by Trump was not a total turnoff to fundie-family-values women. I just don't get it.

[progressoid]

20. Yep. I even asked that of a family member who was gung-ho for him.

She (yes, she) refused to answer. In fact, after that she has since stopped communicating with me.

I'm 99% sure she still voted for him.