Do you really imagine Trump going around, randomly grabbing their pussies without their consent? But Mega.. the tape...
Yeah, let's look at the transcript.
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."
BUSH: "Whatever you want."
TRUMP: "Grab them by the p****. You can do anything."
I don't recall anyone on this board defending the conversation as being anything other than tacky and boorish. He should've not had this conversation whether he knew it was taped or not. However, since you are still talking about it - let's consider my favorite word - context.
'
When you are a star... they LET YOU do anything' - he's not talking about professional interactions or personal interactions, or even typically real life interactions, he's referring to interactions with women who
see him as a celebrity. I know this is shocking - but some women are drawn to rich, powerful, famous men, actors, rock stars etc. These women are called groupies. Groupies make themselves available to the "star" and generally hope to be kissed and groped - for starters.
This is a weird world and it's very hard to relate to, so it's easy to glom on to the idea that it's sexual assault because of confirmation bias. You don't like Trump and it doesn't take anything to convince you that he is saying he is grabbing women without their consent.
I'm not defending it - but I am saying from this transcript it is
at best unclear that it's against their consent - and
most likely it is with perfectly willing women.
Plus, thinking this to be a private conversation - it's pretty clear to me he was big-timing Bush and trying to impress him with likely exaggeration. Again, that's really dumb on his part and utterly pointless. But you really have to WANT this to be sexual assault to believe that's what it is.
I told you I would elaborate more on this, so here goes...
So... I'll tell you this and you can make of it what you will. I am nobody famous but I do have a *little* experience with groupies myself. My band is a KISS tribute band, and we are really good - been doing it for 12 years now. It's my golf game - mainly for fun but we really try to do an accurate show. We do on average about 10-12 shows a year - did a lot more in the early days. We play relatively big shows that draw relatively big crowds. Average crowd for us is 500 - 1000 people I would guess - so small by real rock star standards, but huge by municipal rock star standards. After every show my band does, there are lines of people for photos and believe it or not - autographs - I've signed thousands, which I find hilarious. Depending on the show, it may be a more family friendly show or it may be a little more of an adult audience where women are drinking and losing some inhibition.
These girls are VERY grabby themselves - far more than you would believe. And I've never been asked for consent before one of them grabbed my ass (or more) when posing for pics. That's not one or two times, it's dozens of times and dozens of shows. I've had guys bare their women's breasts for me to spit blood on during the show. I've had women flash their tits and bend over and flash their goods. It is unreal and ridiculous.
@Bitter Creek was part of a security detail at one of our shows where there were so many naked girls on stage it was nearly a work hazard, so I've got at least one witness here to what I'm talking about. I *may* have returned the favor on an ass grab with these girls on occasion - never asked permission and never needed to. It wasn't sexual assault - it was fans buying into the illusion, enjoying the show and having fun with the band - some intended to have more fun than others. Plenty of photos to show you I'm not making this up.
My point - I have a tiny little dirty window into what the world of celebrity can be like, and it's not like any other part of my real world, and if you haven't been in that kind of situation it's very hard to relate to. So you can take this as bragging or whatever, but it's a fact. Of course, 20 minutes later after taking the costume and makeup off - I can walk by the same women who were 'assaulting' me and they don't even look at me because I've transformed into a lowly roadie for my own band. Even if they know I was the "Gene" they were posing with just a few minutes earlier, the illusion is gone at that point and so is their interest in me - but imagine what it must be like for someone who is a celebrity 24/7. How many of Trump's celebrity detractors have enjoyed the fruits of their fame with willing groupies? You think Bruce Springstien or Madonna ask for permission before they grab someone's junk? Not if the context of the interaction makes it clear they don't need to.
As the "Celebrity Apprentice" guy doing a TV interview with a celebrity reporter - exactly what the hell kind of interaction do you think he was talking about? Dinner parties at Mara Lago? Board meetings at Trump Tower? Elevator rides with secretaries? Of course not. He was talking about women who want to f*** a famous guy. Boorish, yes. But if you don't consider the likely context on this conversation, you really are just believing fan fiction about the non-consentual nature of the pussy grabs and kissing he's specifically talking about.
Either way - focusing on this kind of thing puts you further in the rear view mirror of the Trump Train. It's a war that was fought and won. Wouldn't surprise me if the pussy hats were his idea. Everyone knows he is a 70 year old billionaire playboy whose love life has been tabloid fodder for 40 years. To suddenly hold him to a higher level of accountability for his past is kind of hilarious. Or should I say,
hitlerious?
Serious question
@davidallen do you have a pink pussy hat?