Donald Trump on Friday responded to newly-published audio of 2005 remarks, in which he was heard lewdly bragging about his ability to “do anything” to women.
In the audio, published by the Washington Post, Trump tells TV host Billy Bush how he unsuccessfully tried to have sex with a married woman and how “you can do anything” to women “when you’re a star.” The conversation caught on a hot mic took place shortly after Trump married his third wife, Melania, according to the newspaper.
“I moved on her and I failed. I’ll admit it,” Trump can be heard saying. “I did try and f–k her. She was married. 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 b—h, but I couldn’t get there,” he adds. “And she was married. Then all of a sudden I see her, she’s now got the big phony tits and everything. She’s totally changed her look.”
The real estate mogul also told Bush that he’s “automatically attracted to beautiful” women, like a “magnet,” and that sometimes he goes straight for a kiss.
“I just start kissing them,” he says. “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,” Trump adds. “You can do anything.”
Trump quickly responded Friday with a statement. “This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago,” he said. “Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course—not even close.”
Hillary Clinton criticized Trump’s comments, calling them “horrific.”
“We cannot allow this man to become president,” she tweeted.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com