Melania Trump: "I told my husband that his language is not acceptable"
NBC fires Billy Bush, the presenter —and cousin of the former president— who laughed at the tycoon's comments in the broadcast recording
Melania Trump claims her husband was "encouraged" to speak out in a conversation in which he bragged about sexually assaulting women and the disclosure of which has split his campaign in two. The wife of the Republican candidate reappeared in public to give an interview to CNN after several months of silence and defend the innocence of her husband in the face of accusations of harassment by several women. Billy Bush, the presenter of the NBC network who laughed at the tycoon's sexist comments on the recording —and cousin of former President George W. Bush—, was fired this Monday by the American media.
“I told my husband that the language was not appropriate. Is not acceptable. And he surprised me because that is not the man I know, ”said Melania Trump during the interview, quoting almost exactly the words of the statement that she signed a day after The Washington Post published the tape.
The NBC network has sent a note to its staff on Monday announcing the firing of Billy Bush, the host of the channel's morning star who laughed thanks to Trump on the recording and cousin of former Republican President George W. Bush. "Billy Bush will leave the Today show at 9 in the morning today," the note reads. Bush, who apologized the day the recording was released, has issued a statement in which he appreciates the support of his family, friends and colleagues.
Since the publication of the 2005 recording, the Republican campaign has limited itself to denying the accusations of several women against Trump and the candidate, during his rallies, has spread new conspiracy theories against him, has suggested that the elections are rigged in favor of Clinton and anticipates episodes of fraud during the vote. But his organization did not seem to have a concrete plan to respond to the crisis.
The interview granted by Melania Trump to CNN —and the one that FOX will broadcast this Tuesday— is part of that response at a time when the latest polls reflect how the female electorate in the United States can block the return of the Republican Party to the presidency for the effect caused by Trump among female voters.
The gesture of the wife of the Republican candidate also occurs after several months of her absence, since last July she was accused of plagiarizing part of the speech she offered before the Republican National Convention. Melania Trump has only appeared in public twice since then to accompany her husband during the two presidential debates.
The woman who may become the next first lady of the United States described the content of the conversation as "boys' language", asked that "no one feel sorry" for her and affirmed that she and her husband have "turned the page". Melania Trump equated the content of the recording with "how guys talk when they're growing up and sometimes they want to show off in front of each other and say 'this and that' about girls. But of course I was surprised."
In the last two weeks, the Republican candidate for the White House has faced numerous accusations of sexual assault by various women who allege that he kissed or touched them inappropriately. Trump denies such accusations and Melania says she is "shocked" by what she heard. "I don't know a person who could talk like that, or who could say that kind of thing in private."
However, the third wife of the Republican candidate has another theory about the origin of the conversation. "As you can see on the tape, the cameras weren't rolling, it was just a microphone, so I wonder if they even knew it was on," he said, referring to Trump and Billy Bush, the host of Access Hollywood with the what the businessman was talking about at the time. This Monday it has also been known that Bush will leave the NBC network because of the scandal caused by his conversation with Trump.
Melania Trump recognizes in her conversation with FOX, according to the fragments advanced by the chain, that after having participated for so many years in television programs "it is very difficult to aspire to political office, but [Trump] did it anyway." The candidate's wife also responded to questions about Trump's strategy of bringing three women to the debate who have accused former President Bill Clinton of sexually assaulting them in the past. “If they use my past, why not?” she replied. “They have wanted it. They started."
