ST. LOUIS ― Donald Trump’s lewd comments about getting away with groping women because he’s famous reveal “a pattern of sexual assault,” Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine said Sunday.
In an uncensored 2005 video, Trump, speaking of going after several unnamed women, bragged that “when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything... Grab them by the pussy.”
“It’s not just words,” Kaine said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday morning. Kaine, speaking the day of the second presidential debate, added that it was up Trump to “take responsibility” for his actions. Kaine said Trump’s 2005 comments raised a lot of questions about his behavior.
“If you take that tape as Donald as accurately describing his actions, then yeah, it is a pattern of assaultive behavior,” Kaine said.
Kaine said it was likely to come up at the debate in St. Louis on Sunday evening.
“I can’t imagine that undecided voters that are part of this town hall will not want to hear him explain why he thought that was acceptable behavior,” Kaine said.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani appeared on a number of television shows on Trump’s behalf on Sunday, where he tried to defend Trump by saying the nominee’s comments about getting away with committing sexual assault on women could have been all talk.
“Talk and actions are two different things,” Giuliani said in an interview with NBC’s Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press.” “I don’t know how much he was exaggerating; I don’t know how much is true.”
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