"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."
— Donald Trump, recorded in conversation with Billy Bush on an Access Hollywood bus, 2005. Published by the Washington Post, October 7, 2016.The tape was recorded in 2005, published by the Washington Post on October 7, 2016 — a month before the presidential election. Trump issued a rare written statement apologizing and calling it "locker room talk" — private, essentially harmless conversation between men. But "locker room talk" is a framing, not a defense. The tape does not document talk about women. It documents a man describing his own behavior: specifically, that because he is famous, he does not wait for consent. He was describing assault — behavior that is illegal regardless of celebrity.
In the weeks after the tape's release, multiple women came forward describing sexual misconduct by Trump: unwanted touching, kissing without consent, assault. The New York Times published accounts from multiple women in October 2016. A total of more than 26 women had accused Trump of sexual misconduct by the time of the 2020 election. In May 2023, a federal jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse of E. Jean Carroll — the finding that his conduct constituted what the judge described, in common parlance, as rape. The Access Hollywood tape was exhibit A in every discussion of those accusations. Trump dismissed them all as politically motivated lies. He called E. Jean Carroll "not his type."
This post distinguishes between documented facts, allegations, and analysis. Where motive, intent, corruption, or illegality remains disputed in the public record, the text attributes that judgment to court findings, official records, direct quotes, or the reporting linked below.
- Washington Post publication — October 7, 2016; David Fahrenthold; full transcript available.
- Trump apology — released October 7, 2016; "locker room banter."
- E. Jean Carroll verdict — May 9, 2023; found liable for sexual abuse and defamation; $5M; judge noted conduct fit common definition of rape.
- 26+ accusers — documented by New York Times, Washington Post, and other outlets through 2024.