Trump: My Past Insults About Women Were All For ‘Entertainment’

Donald Trump, host of the television series "The Celebrity Apprentice," mugs for photographers at the NBCUniversal 2015 Winter TCA Press Tour at The Langham Huntington Hotel on Friday, Jan. 16, 2015, in Pasadena, Cal... Donald Trump, host of the television series "The Celebrity Apprentice," mugs for photographers at the NBCUniversal 2015 Winter TCA Press Tour at The Langham Huntington Hotel on Friday, Jan. 16, 2015, in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Donald Trump on Wednesday chalked up his long history of making insulting comments about women to “entertainment.”

“A lot of that was done for the purpose of entertainment,” the Republican nominee told Las Vegas’ KSNV-TV. “I can tell you this: There is nobody — nobody — that has more respect for women than I do.”

Asked about his habit of rating women on a scale from 1-10 and criticizing their bodies, Trump attributed his comments to his public persona as host of NBC’s “Apprentice.”

“You know, you’re in the entertainment business. You’re doing ‘The Apprentice.’ You have one of the top shows on television. And you say things differently for a reason,” Trump said.

Though he assured KSNV reporter Jim Snyder that it would be “easy” for him to tone down those remarks, the real estate mogul’s gendered criticisms have endured long into his presidential campaign.

During the 2016 race, Trump has hinted that Fox News host Megyn Kelly treated him unfriendly because there was “blood coming out of her wherever,” called Kelly a bimbo, and mocked the appearance of Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) wife.

As recently as last week, Trump went on a tear against former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, who he previously called “Miss Piggy” and “Miss Housekeeping” for gaining “a massive amount of weight” after winning her title. He also targeted Hillary Clinton for her husband’s extramarital affairs.

Trump’s suggestion that he only made derogatory comments about women to bolster his public image as a billionaire playboy also contradict a slew of recent news reports about how he treated women in private.

In an Associated Press investigation out this week, over 20 people who worked on “The Apprentice” described Trump’s inappropriate behind-the-scenes behavior, which included making lewd comments about a camerawoman who he said reminded him of his eldest daughter, frequently remarking on staffers’ bodies, and requesting that one contestant twirl before him so he could look at her figure.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. I for one will be very entertained when all those entertainers vote against you .
    Christ on a cracker you are one ignorant SOB

  2. Avatar for mcbain mcbain says:

    Follow up : “So you think it is funny to humiliate women?”

  3. Avatar for jsfox jsfox says:

    Whose entertainment, other misogynist assholes?

  4. Hey, Donnie, how about you entertain this thought?

  5. “My past insults…”

    And your future insults against women will be for what purpose?

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

166 more replies

Participants

Avatar for austin_dave Avatar for ajaykalra Avatar for ajoguy Avatar for srfromgr Avatar for oldvet Avatar for matthew1961 Avatar for leftflank Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for datora Avatar for inversion Avatar for mantan Avatar for frankly_my_dear Avatar for joelopines Avatar for mrf Avatar for azjude Avatar for darrtown Avatar for tena Avatar for beattycat Avatar for dommyluc Avatar for kdemello1980 Avatar for grack Avatar for katscherger Avatar for maximus Avatar for saralyn

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: