In 2016, Donald Trump defied political gravity by being elected president shortly after the release of the leaked “Access Hollywood” tape in which he made disgusting comments about women. Despite calls for him to drop out of the presidential race, Trump was still elected to the highest office and has since been able to secure the Republican presidential nomination for a third time, despite losing the 2020 election and attempting to overturn the results.
The “Access Hollywood” tape, in which Trump brags about being able to grope women, continues to haunt him and was the focus of his hush money criminal trial in New York. Former close aide Hope Hicks testified about the impact of the tape on the 2016 campaign, describing it as a crisis. The tape set off a political earthquake during the campaign, leaving many people speechless when it was released just before Election Day in 2016.
Following the release of the tape, many Republicans, including Sen. Mike Lee and then-House Speaker Paul Ryan, called on Trump to step down from the presidential race. Trump’s wife Melania also expressed disgust with his words, although she later dismissed them as “boy talk.” Trump issued a rare apology in a video posted on Twitter, where he admitted to making the comments but refused to leave the race, drawing an equivalence to allegations against former President Bill Clinton.
Despite facing his own challenges during the 2016 campaign, including former FBI Director James Comey’s announcement about her email handling and the review of emails related to her personal server just days before Election Day, Hillary Clinton ultimately lost to Trump. Now, the “Access Hollywood” tape has resurfaced as prosecutors allege that Trump and his former fixer Michael Cohen paid off adult-film star Stormy Daniels to influence the election. Cohen served time for violating campaign finance laws, while Trump is accused of falsifying business records related to the payments.
Trump has questioned whether it was his voice on the tape and has attempted to parse the words during recent interviews. The ongoing impact of the “Access Hollywood” tape illustrates the delicate balance between Trump’s ability to overcome scandal and the lasting repercussions of his actions. Despite the controversy surrounding the tape, Trump’s ability to navigate through such scandals and maintain his political power highlights his unique position in American politics.
