Billy Bush, the TV personality who appears on the infamous Access Hollywood tape that captured Donald Trump being an absolute pig about women, has penned a heartfelt op-ed for the New York Times clarifying the events that took place back in 2005.
The op-ed comes in the wake of reports that Trump has started to deny that it was his voice bragging about “grabbing [women] by the pussy“. The NYT reported that Trump “suggested to a senator earlier this year that it was not authentic, and repeated that claim to an advisor more recently” (this is despite the fact that during his presidential campaign, Trump formally apologised for his actions on the tape).
In response, Bush has written an editorial that explicitly confirms that yep, it was definitely Donald Trump saying those ghastly things. Bush also uses the opportunity to express remorse for his part in the whole sordid affair.
He said it. “Grab ’em by the pussy.”
Of course he said it. And we laughed along, without a single doubt that this was hypothetical hot air from America’s highest-rated bloviator. […] Surely, we thought, none of this was real.
We now know better.
The long-serving TV and radio host went on to open up about the effect the leak of the tape has had on him, and his own growing understanding of the current climate around sexual assault and power imbalances that victimise women.
But most importantly, he’s taking the current United States president to task, and despite being a member of the notoriously Republican Bush family, he’s authentically disgusted.
President Trump is currently indulging in some revisionist history, reportedly telling allies, including at least one United States senator, that the voice on the tape is not his. This has hit a raw nerve in me.
A number of people have praised the bloke for taking a stand on the Head Misogynist.
Another interesting part of Billy Bush’s op-ed directed at President Trump: “I believe her.” pic.twitter.com/NlJ7gB331W
— Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) December 4, 2017
Kudos to Billy Bush for searching his conscience and coming up with the right words, at the right time. And for telling the truth. https://t.co/77tbbTNm5y
— Sharon Waxman (@sharonwaxman) December 4, 2017
It was the least Billy Bush could have done https://t.co/aars78muXZ
— Kerry Sheridan (@kerrsheridan) December 4, 2017
But of course, others are firmly in the “tell us something we don’t know” camp.
https://twitter.com/Shakestweetz/status/937503674695389186
I see Billy Bush neglected to mention in his op-ed that some of the women Trump was speaking disgustingly about were his colleagues.
— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) December 4, 2017
Regardless, this stands as another moment in an increasingly disorienting political era for the United States – one in which resistance to tyranny and sexism comes from the most unlikely places.
