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
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- The Revolution of Yulia Navalnaya
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- Stop Looking for Your Forever Home
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com