Donald Trump’s infamous hot mic reveal continues to haunt him to this day, and the aftermath isn’t letting up anytime soon. The backlash began when the ex-POTUS’s 2005 Access Hollywood interview was leaked, showing him saying vulgar and misogynistic things about women. On the tape, he said comments such as, “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet… And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything.” The recordings opened up a conversation about power dynamics and consent, enraging many. Though it’s been years since the tape was released, it still lives on today.
Based on information released by NBC News, Donald Trump is currently on trial for fabricating business records related to his affair with Stormy Daniels. In the process, the Access Hollywood audio clips have resurfaced and been brought out into the spotlight once more. Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, spoke out in court and revealed suspected truths about Melania Trump.
But another truth bombshell was dropped when Cohen claimed Melania was the one who initially had the idea to call Donald’s Access Hollywood tape “locker room talk.” Many people thought that it was a man who came up with the phrase being used in this context and were shocked to learn the truth.
Reports from The Hill discussed Cohen’s claim that “the spin he [Donald] wanted put on it was that this is locker room talk, something that Melania had recommended, or at least he told me that’s what Melania had thought it was, and use that in order to get control over the story and to minimize its impact on him and his campaign.”
Even more details were divulged regarding the Access Hollywood tape during Donald’s court proceedings and the handling of his criminal case.
Hope Hicks reveals how Donald Trump reacted to the re-emerged Access Hollywood tape
Hope Hicks, the formal White House aide during Trump’s time in office, had a close relationship with the business mogul. She became Trump’s confidante, and the former U.S. president spoke with her about a range of controversial matters, including the Access Hollywood recordings.
When Hicks testified in Trump’s criminal trial, she spilled the tea on how he felt after the notorious resurfaced and the related concerns he had—specifically, to his wife, Melania Trump. According to PBS, Hope Hicks commented that the political figure holds his wife’s opinion in high esteem, and while she doesn’t always weigh in with her thoughts when she does, it carries a lot of weight with Donald Trump and influences his decisions. Hicks continued to say that he “really, really respects what she has to say” and was worried about how the rest of the world would perceive him after this information was let loose.
Many other juicy tidbits related to Donald and Melania’s relationship have gone public due to details revealed from the witness stand, like Hicks’ testimony indicating that Trump was nervous about what Melania (and the public) would have to say about the tape.
Hicks added that there was no hiding the clip, and as many suspected, it instantly went viral and got picked up by major media outlets all over the world. She called the process “intense” and described how the story took over the news cycle for over a day and a half, leading up to the presidential debates. Although Mr. Trump apologized back in 2016 for his Access Hollywood remarks, it looks like this interview will follow him wherever he goes for the foreseeable future.