Here’s what Melania allegedly said.
During the ongoing trial in New York City, Michael Cohen, former attorney of Donald Trump, testified about Melania Trump’s involvement in advising on the handling of the Access Hollywood tape controversy before the 2016 presidential election. This trial revolves around 34 counts of falsifying business records linked to a payment made to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress, just prior to the election. The Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, alleges that this payment was intended to silence Daniels, who claimed to have had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.
Trump, who was the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, refutes Daniels’ allegations and has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He contends that the trial is politically motivated, accusing Bragg and others of interfering with the election process.
Cohen testified that Melania Trump suggested framing the audio recording, where Trump made vulgar remarks about women, as “locker room talk” to mitigate its impact on the campaign. This revelation came from Cohen’s testimony reported by Katherine Fung of Newsweek, who has been covering the trial firsthand.
According to Cohen, he learned of the tape while in London celebrating his wedding anniversary and his daughter’s birthday. Concerned, he instructed former Trump adviser Steve Bannon to ensure the situation was managed appropriately to protect Trump’s interests.
The Access Hollywood tape, released by The Washington Post on October 7, 2016, captured Trump boasting about being able to “grab” women by their genitals due to his celebrity status. This drew widespread condemnation, with critics arguing that such language was unfit for a presidential candidate. Trump defended himself, dismissing the remarks as mere locker room banter that did not reflect his treatment of women.
Melania Trump echoed this defense on October 17, 2016, during interviews with CNN and Fox News. She characterized Trump’s comments as “boy talk” and attributed them to being egged on by the host, Billy Bush. Despite finding the words offensive, Melania accepted Trump’s apology and stated they were moving forward from the incident.
