EXCLUSIVE: Tim Kaine Gives First Sit-Down Interview to ATTN: After Trump Bombshell
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Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said on Saturday that the vulgar comments about women made by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in a 2005 tape, which was leaked on Friday, go much further than "locker room banter." In an exclusive interview with ATTN:, Kaine said the actions Trump described are "basically tantamount to sexual abuse or sexual assault."
Washington Post - washingtonpost.com
"This is more than just talk," Kaine said. "The tape yesterday is Donald Trump describing his actions, and there are women who are basically coming out and saying, 'Yeah, he did that to me.'"
"If it were locker room banter, it would probably be a little bit of a disqualifier in the character of somebody you want as commander-in-chief. But he's describing things he did that are basically tantamount to sexual abuse or sexual assault. Everybody who supports Donald Trump, especially GOP candidates and office holders need to be asked, 'Do you think he's qualified to be president and do you still support him?'"
On Friday, The Washington Post released a recording of Trump talking to former "Access Hollywood" host Billy Bush in 2005. A hot mic picked up Trump discussing an attempt to have sex with a married woman, his habit of kissing women without waiting, and his belief that, as "a star," women "let you do anything," including grabbing them "by the p----."
Trump first issued a written statement describing the recording as "locker room banter" and later released a video statement apologizing for the comments, while simultaneously casting them as "a distraction from the important issues we’re facing today."
Numerous GOP officials have denounced Trump's remarks, including the nominee's own running mate Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus. Other Republicans — such as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), and former GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina — have pulled their endorsements entirely.
In response to GOP calls to drop out of the race, Trump wrote on Twitter that he would never bow out.
Asked why some Republicans have continued to support Trump in spite of these remarks, Kaine told ATTN: that he believes "a lot of them are grappling with it."
"I can't imagine that they could say that after yesterday that this was a complete shocker or surprise to them," Kaine said. "The horrible language that he's used about women throughout his life and during this campaign, I think demonstrates that there's sort of a piece missing in him where he can't look at a woman and consider her an equal — that he views women as objects or somehow different."
"And that's been apparent to most of us from the very start, so I don't understand how people could be supporting him, and I haven't understood for a long time," he added. "But this really forces the question: If you've been on the record and you’ve supported him before, you've got to be asked again, 'Ok, have you seen this? Is this still somebody you can support to be president?’"
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton tweeted a link to the Post's report and called Trump's comments "horrific."
Sources from inside the Clinton campaign allegedly told reporters that she will address the controversy in-depth at the second presidential debate on Sunday.
ATTN: reached out to Trump's campaign for comment, but a representative was not immediately available. We will update this story when we receive a response.
