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The linchpin to a case that could — in theory — lead to former President Donald Trump seeing the inside of a jail cell stems from a scandal the American public had almost forgotten: the “Access Hollywood” tape, which emerged way back in 2016.
The tape, in which Trump crudely describes groping women, is not allowed to be played at the former president’s criminal hush money trial, as New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan does not want jurors to hear the words in Trump’s own voice. But it can be described and quoted from for the jury, and it has loomed large over the case.
Trump’s scandals can fill books. Over his nearly eight decades on this planet, the man has been variously accused of being a slumlord, a racist, a cheat and a rapist. But it was after he gained the powers of the presidency that interest in his misbehavior really ratcheted up, as reports of his outrageous behavior felt like they came every five minutes. From the way he picked on U.S. allies and cozied up to longtime adversaries, to the way his remarks sowed confusion and outrage while Americans dealt with the rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic, to his attempt to fan the flames of insurrection on his way out of office, to his multiple criminal trials for actions during and after his presidency — the American people have had a lot to pay attention to.
Now, for one those trials to remind the public of how this lone scandal almost derailed his presidency before it even happened — well, it’s a reminder of what seems like a quainter time.
First published by The Washington Post, the tape, which was recorded in 2005, became front-page news in October 2016, one month before the presidential election. It was obscene. Caught on a hot mic speaking with “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush, Trump could be heard talking about an unnamed woman who he failed to seduce. He and Bush were on a bus,…
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