In a speech before the New York Young Republican Club, former President Donald Trump recounted a conversation with a general who purportedly praised him for his response to the Access Hollywood tape controversy during a 2016 presidential debate. Trump reflected on the fallout from the infamous tape, in which he made lewd remarks, including the infamous “grab ’em by the pussy” comment. Two days later, in a debate with Hillary Clinton, he dismissed his comments as “locker room talk.”
According to Trump, the general, whom he described as fantastic, approached him and commended his actions, stating, “Sir, I’ve been on the battlefield. Men have gone down on my left and on my right. I stood on hills where soldiers were killed. But I believe the bravest thing I’ve ever seen was the night you went on that stage with Hillary Clinton, after what happened. And then that woman asked you the first question about it.” Trump claimed to respond, saying, “Locker room talk! It’s locker talk! What the hell?! Locker room talk!”
“A general, who’s a fantastic general, actually said to me, ‘Sir, I’ve been on the battlefield. Men have gone down on my left and on my right. I stood on hills where soldiers were killed. But I believe the bravest thing I’ve ever seen was the night you went on to that stage with Hillary Clinton, after what happened. And then that woman asked you the first question about it.’ And I said, locker room talk! It’s locker talk! What the hell?! Locker room talk!”
In his retelling, Trump emphasized the perceived courage of his actions during the debate and the subsequent questioning about the Access Hollywood tape. The audience at the New York Young Republican Club reportedly responded with laughter and applause.
It’s worth noting that, in reality, the debate in question was co-moderated by ABC’s Martha Raddatz and CNN’s Anderson Cooper. While Trump’s narrative suggests a woman posed the initial question about the Access Hollywood tape, it was, in fact, Cooper who addressed the topic during the debate.
