SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8
The US presidential election is on the brink of chaos and disarray, after a day on which tapes were released of Donald Trump bragging about his ability to molest women because of his fame — hours after Wikileaks released thousands of files that are claimed to be drafts of corporate speeches by Hillary Clinton, in which she says that “you need a public position and a private position” on social policy.
The Trump tape has all but driven the Wikileaks releases from the news cycle. Released by The Washington Post, to which it was leaked, it’s a 20-minute or so video recorded by Access Hollywood in 2005, when Trump was arriving at the NBC studios to record a cameo role on Days of Our Lives. The tape shows a bus arriving at the studio, with Trump and Access Hollywood presenter Billy Bush in voice-over, in a conversation that starts as sexual trash talk gossip and gets much much worse. It’s clear that what’s being filmed is a faked arrival, and that both Trump and Bush have previously been lapel-miked — and unbeknownst to them, those mics are recording.
They begin part way through some conversation about a woman of their mutual acquaintance:
Trump: “You know and I moved on her actually. You know she was down on Palm Beach.”
Unknown: “She used to be great. She’s still very beautiful.”
Trump: “I moved on her and I failed. I’ll admit it. I did try and fuck her. She was married.”
Unknown: “That’s huge news.”
Trump: “I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there. 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.”
They then see ahead, waiting for the bus to arrive, the young female actor whom Trump will be appearing opposite:
Bush: “Sheesh, your girl’s hot as shit. In the purple. Whoa, the Donald is good! Whoa, my man!”
Trump: “Look at you. You are a pussy … 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.”
Unknown, but apparently Bush: “Whatever you want.”
Trump: “Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.”
They then get off the bus for the cameras, and the actor — Arianne Zucker — greets them (“are you ready to be a soap star?”) and with obvious reluctance, hugs Trump after being urged to by Bush (“does my boy Donald get a hug?”).
There’s another 10 minutes or so, but that’s the chunk that’s getting played. The reaction across the country has been, well, coffee in hand you flick the TV on, the tape is rolling, your mouth gapes, you sit down and get up three hours later. It’s a mini-9/11 moment.
The ramifications of the tape are huge, because Trump is not merely talking sleazily, but is actually claiming that he can and does get away with sexual assault due to his fame. That point has been clear to anyone listening to it — yet a little hard to get across on US TV, since no one will say the phrase “grab her pussy”. Instead they initially focused on the “stolen” kisses bit, and then — this being the US — Trump bragging about making a play for a (gasp) married woman!
But as the evening wore on, the menace of the statement, its categorically different character, couldn’t be ignored, and reporters began using the term “p-word”, which made everything sound worse. The Trump campaign’s “surrogates” went on TV initially defending the comments: Corey Lewandowski said, “We’re not electing a Sunday school teacher”, while others tried to pivot back to the allegations against Bill Clinton, and the charges that Hillary had persecuted such women.
By around seven o’clock eastern time, the surrogates had vanished from the cable news, pulled off by the campaign. Trump issued an apology, stating that he was sorry “if anyone was offended”. This was widely judged to be inadequate. Speculation grew about an event in Wisconsin where Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan and RNC chair Reince Priebus were to appear together. By nine, it was announced that Trump would not be appearing, with Mike Pence taking his place. By 10, Utah Republican congressman Jason Chaffetz — a Tea Party favourite — had withdrawn his endorsement, as did Illinois Senator Mark Kirk.
At midnight, Trump issued a video statement, no more than 90 seconds long, saying that he apologised, that he had said and done foolish things, but that he had been “changed” by the process of running for president — and that, anyway, Bill had abused women, and Hillary had covered for him. He committed to appearing at the debate on Sunday — there had been speculation he might pull out — and marked out a determination to get back on the attack.
Throughout the evening, and still going, has been gathering discussion as to whether Trump would stay on the ticket at all. That this is even being discussed is mind-blowing — not only have the ballots been printed and nominations closed, but in many states early voting has already begun. Were the RNC to dump Trump would of course be to concede the presidency — they would have to run a nationwide “write-in” campaign, possibly for Mike Pence, the V-P candidate, which might serve to shield Republican congressional candidates from the Trump stink. This story is unfolding minute by minute. Oh, Colorado Congressman Mike Coffman has just called on Trump to step down.
The Trump tape has blown the WikiLeaks releases right out of the water — and given the timing, I would not be surprised if higher-ups within the media had decided to drop it in at an opportune time for the national interest. WikiLeaks released a number of Hillary Clinton’s corporate speeches, which had been sent back and forth between her and adviser John Podesta, apparently harvested from his account. They would be overshadowed today, even if they contained an admission of murdering JonBenet Ramsay. But actually, on initial viewing, they merely show a mix of standard political cynicism and some flattery of any given audience — Hillary tells Wall Street crowds that only Wall Street can solve the financial crisis, tells a Canadian audience that Obamacare’s shortcomings will be solved by the introduction of single-payer healthcare, and calls some of the further left “a bucket of losers”. There is some wariness, as to the possibility that the whole thing might be a doctored file — but neither Clinton nor Podesta have claimed that.
To cap it all off, these two stories have broken as a hurricane broke on the Florida coast. Hurricane Matthew appears to have done far less damage than it might have (to the US; it killed more than 800 in Haiti), something of a cause for relief in the sunshine state — and in the newsrooms of the nation. Anything more, and it would have been too much news …
And in the midnight hour, the news rolls on …
Watching Ana Navarro call it like it is on CNN was pretty amazing.
Rolf Harris comes to mind…
‘When you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything.’
And:
‘You need to have a public position and a private position on social issues.’
Can’t conceive of a more pitch-perfect twinned summation of the last thirty years of Republican and Democrat America. This election is late phase decadence in its richest rotten glory.
Huzzah and hallelujah. Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud hatch out.
You are so right Jack. This is end of times stuff when the Four Horseman enter stage left.
This is just the culmination of an era that started with Belusconi’s bunga bunga and is in a way repeating Roman Empire end of days. There is a lack of spiritualism that has given way to fully blown desire realm excesses as exhibited by Trump. This greedy pig, in a way depicts the tragic circumstances the USA finds itself in. Debt laden pigs like Trump should be exiled not the Latinos or Muslims!!!!!
Congratulations Donald, you have just inflicted President Hillary Rodham Clinton on the world. Yuuuuge. The best self inflicted head wound ever.
All a beat-up about locker room talk.
The Establishment is terrified that someone not under their control might takeover. Prison terms are in sight for bankers. What will they do if Trump wins?
Would Trump do better than JFK?