Trump Talk™

WARNING: This story contains graphic language.

The videotape of Donald Trump that is shaking up the presidential election sat forgotten on a shelf at NBC's "Access Hollywood" until just a few days ago.

On Monday, according to an NBC source, one of the entertainment newsmagazine's producers remembered Trump's 2005 taping session with former "Access" co-host Billy Bush.

Trump's offensive comments about Alicia Machado were still making waves. And the Associated Press had just published a detailed story quoting former "Apprentice" employees saying Trump "was lewd and sexist" while taping the reality show.

With that in mind, a producer dug up the tape.

By mid-week, executive producer Rob Silverstein and his producing team had taken a look at its contents, and discovered that among other things it included a moment in which Trump told Bush, "And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything... Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything."

It also included Trump saying he once tried and failed to sleep with Nancy O'Dell, who was Bush's co-host at the time.

After reviewing the tape, "we were debating what to do" with it, an NBC source explained.

By Friday morning, Silverstein had decided to broadcast it, and a script had been written. The story was not slated to air on Friday night's edition of the show, however.

That means the earliest it would have aired is Monday night -- after Sunday's presidential debate.

Another NBC source confirmed that "Access" was working on a story, and that NBC News knew about it, but said that as of Friday morning the story "wasn't quite finalized."

That's when Silverstein was notified that David Fahrenthold of The Washington Post had come into possession of a copy.

Fahrenthold has been reporting for months on Trump's charitable donations and the Trump Foundation. The tape was apparently leaked to him.

Fahrenthold asked NBC for comment about the tape around noon Eastern time. The producers at "Access," which is based in California, were blindsided by Fahrenthold's call.

Contacted by CNNMoney on Friday, Farenthold declined to comment about how he obtained the tape.

But sources at NBC believe someone inside NBC downloaded the footage from one of the network's video servers. The tape was accessible internally since the "Access" story was already in the works.

Silverstein told Page Six on Friday afternoon, "I don't know who leaked it. I have no idea."

After the Post called NBC for comment, NBC News staff hurried to finish a story about it. So did the "Access" staff.

On Friday night's edition of the newsmagazine, co-host Natalie Morales reported on the tape, linking it to Monday's investigation by The A.P.

Morales also noted that Trump has appeared on the show "hundreds of times" over the years.

"In the course of reporting on Mr. Trump, we have reviewed much of our own footage," she said.

So does "Access" have other tapes of Trump speaking in vulgar terms? One of the NBC sources said, "Not that I know of."

The videotape of Donald Trump that is shaking up the presidential election sat forgotten on a shelf at NBC's "Access Hollywood" until just a few days ago.

On Monday, according to an NBC source, one of the entertainment newsmagazine's producers remembered Trump's 2005 taping session with former "Access" co-host Billy Bush.

Paul Ryan said Friday night that he was "sickened" by Donald Trump's lewd comments about women, and announced that the GOP nominee would no longer campaign with him in Wisconsin on Saturday.
The speaker did not, however, comment on whether he still supports Trump for the presidency. He was reacting to audio and video showing Trump saying he could kiss and grab a woman's genitals with impunity because he is famous.
Story Continued Below

Hours after the footage posted on The Washington Post, Ryan's office said, "I am sickened by what I heard today."
"Women are to be championed and revered, not objectified," Ryan continued in a statement. "I hope Mr. Trump treats this situation with the seriousness it deserves and works to demonstrate to the country that he has greater respect for women than this clip suggests. In the meantime, he is no longer attending tomorrow’s event in Wisconsin.”

The event, a "fall fest" in Elkhorn, Wisconsin that Ryan invited Trump to attend, is still on. Mike Pence will be standing in for Trump.

Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz has withdrawn his endorsement of Donald Trump following the publication of lewd and sexually aggressive comments the Republican nominee made 2005, in one of the most concrete signs so far that Trump’s support is crumbling.
“I’m out. I can no longer in good conscience endorse this person for president. It is some of the most abhorrent and offensive comments that you can possibly imagine,” Chaffetz told Utah’s Fox 13 News.

he just can't stop attacking people for more than 30 seconds at a time.

Chaffetz first to Dump Trump


First domino. Didn't have time to create a pool to see who would be the first to rescind their endorsement, I was going with Kelly Ayotte.

Most women I know just rolled their eyes or laughed it off and have said much worse things about penises or of raping hot celebrities. "I would blabblahblah Bradd Pitt so hard."

Oh give me a break. Like anyone here has never talked sexually in front of their friends? I know I've said I'd like ***in front of my friends. So many god damn high horses in here. At least he never dropped a load on an intern.

It was 11 years ago!

Oh give me a break. Like anyone here has never talked sexually in front of their friends? I know I've said I'd like ***in front of my friends. So many god damn high horses in here. At least he never dropped a load on an intern.

So two consenting adults is bad (Bill and Monica), but an unwanted grab (Trump) is OK?

Most women I have talked to and seen comment on this just rolled their eyes and laughed it off. It was 11 years ago! People change.

And the Lewinsky scandal was over 15 years ago, but you are holding that against Hillary for some reason.

So two consenting adults is bad (Bill and Monica), but an unwanted grab (Trump) is OK?

The only problem with Monica was the fact that he lied under oath about it. Bill has a much more sordid past than that when it comes to mistreating women.