Billy Bush Breaks Silence on Infamous Trump Tape Ahead of The Don Taking Power Again in Five Days: 'Screwing Him is Paramount!'
Jan. 15 2025, Published 1:38 p.m. ET
Billy Bush has broken his silence on the infamous Donald Trump tape before the President-elect is set to return to the White House in just a few days.
The former Access Hollywood host has shared new details about the shocking 2005 tape featuring the President-elect that became a major controversy during the 2016 presidential election, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Bush, 53, sat down for a new interview on Tucker Carlson's podcast and claimed NBC initially buried the tape to protect its relationship with Trump – as he was one of the biggest stars on the network at the time.
However, that changed when The Washington Post released the bombshell recording just one month before the 2016 presidential election to hopefully impact his chances of winning – which didn't work.
Bush opened up to Carlson and revealed how different media organizations were set on finding negative stories about the President-elect.
He claimed that ABC News launched a "75-person investigation unit dedicated to anything negative on Trump."
He added: "Find stuff on him and get him out, this is not journalism, this is not news...it is activism. When you're calling journalism, total activism."
In the infamous tape, Bush was sitting with Trump before filming a segment for the show and the President-elect was unaware he was being recorded and proceeded to make remarks about women — including, "grab them by the p—".
Bush also revealed new details about what led up to Trump's shocking quote and how they got on that topic of conversation.
Bush explained: "The Donald, at that point, while we're waiting, he gets into his, what he likes to talk about and, you know, you don't choose the agenda with Donald Trump.
"He talks at you. He started by talking about my co-host Nancy O'Dell, you know, 'she's so hot,' whatever. I handled that beautifully, and he keeps going."
Bush explained: "Had that tape leaked out in 2005 when it happened, heads would have rolled, including mine, because you just completely tarnished our major cash cow."
At the time, Trump was one of the network's biggest assets due to his very successful show, The Apprentice – which ran in various formats for 15 seasons.
But after Trump announced he was running for president in 2016, everything shifted dramatically.
The television host revealed it was Matt Lauer who told him about the tape leak that shocked the world.
Bush said: "I found out that the Access Hollywood bus tape was in the NBC News building by Matt Lauer.
"Lauer came to me after I got off the air at the Today show on a Tuesday morning and he said, 'Hey, what are you going to do about the tape?'"
In October 2016, Bush was fired from his Access Hollywood gig and was suspended from Today.
He is now working on a video podcast, Hot Mic, to be launched this month.