The Great UnTrumping of 2016 is well underway. Throughout the weekend, a steady stream of Republican leaders, from Sen. John McCain to former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, renounced Donald Trump for comments he made on tape to Access Hollywood host Billy Bush back in 2005, in which Trump said he could grab women "by the pussy" with no repercussions, because, when you're famous "you can do anything."
The fallout of this scandal proves unequivocally the power of video. The GOP has managed to explain away every accusation against Trump this election cycle. They dismissed as false reports that he's harassed women; justified the possibility that he didn't pay taxes for 18 years as "genius;" and even forgave him for his attacks on a federal judge of Mexican heritage, which House Speaker Paul Ryan called the "textbook definition of a racist comment."
But the video packs a different sort of punch. In a race in which Trump's supposed authenticity and tell-it-like-it-is attitude has been everything, the candid recording---captured far from the spotlights of cable news or the packed stadiums where Trump delivers his stump speeches---sends a clear message about who the authentic Trump really is.
At least, clear enough to compel a growing list of Republicans to urge Trump to resign from the ticket---a concession he remains unwilling to make, despite issuing a (fittingly) video-taped apology. But what matters is not what Republican officials concerned about their own political futures think. What matters most is how voters will respond.
So, as both Hillary Clinton and Trump descend on St. Louis tonight for the second presidential debate, WIRED walked around the city asking voters of all stripes what they thought of the Trump tapes. Here's what they had to say.
Student at Washington University
Likely Evan McMullin Supporter
From Livingston, NJ
"I think it’s very disturbing. I don't think it’s particularly surprising. When I hear conservatives and Republicans say, 'These remarks are so horrible. We’re so surprised,' I have to ask: Who did you think you nominated? The other thing I would like to talk about is the fact that in Mr. Trump's statements and apologies, he referenced Bill Clinton’s troubled past. While that’s certainly accurate, I don't think it’s particularly relevant, because it’s deflecting blame from what Mr. Trump has done wrong. If he wanted to issue a sincere apology, he should have said, 'I’m sorry.' That’s it. We’re not electing a dogcatcher. We’re electing the President of the United States. It should be more than somebody who’s less bad."
Trump supporter
From St. Louis, MO
"It’s not good comments, but I feel that he regrets it, and he’s a changed man, and I don’t see him acting on what he’s saying. I like what he believes. We do not agree with Hillary’s issues: the open borders, the economy, and selling our country down the road. And then I watch the [Access Hollywood] tape, and I’m like, he didn’t even want to hug her. She came over and hugged him. I didn’t see him forcefully pushing himself on any woman. I see him as a different person than he was, and he said he’s gone through an evolution on the campaign trail. Bill Clinton actually did things in the White House that we know about, and he’s confessed. Hillary continually defends his actions. I wouldn’t stay with anybody like that. I’d be like, are you kidding me? So I don’t understand a woman staying married to somebody that continually behaves that way."
Retired
Clinton Supporter
From St. Louis, MO
"We’re excited about Hillary today. She cares about women and children and she pays her taxes and she doesn't grope people. It’s despicable. Deplorable, that’s a better word. I know he’s going to turn it around and say stuff about her. Bill Clinton’s not running for President. It’s not relevant. What’s relevant is security in the world and things in Aleppo and the United Nations and European Union and jobs in America and being kind to immigrants. That’s what we ought to be talking about. It once again tells you there’s a disparity here in the United States about how women are treated and men are treated."
Self employed
Trump Supporter
From Jefferson County, MO
Betsy: "I don’t expect him to be the purest. But he’s not running for Pope. I’m not happy about the things he said, but I don’t think it can disqualify him from being president. I was a Ted Cruz supporter in the primaries, so at the very beginning I cringed. I think a lot of people did, but when you came down to it, you’ve got two choices."
Bill: "Hillary Clinton’s as much of a misogynist as Trump is. When you attack people your husband’s having affairs with, that’s on her. He did the deed, but she came out and attacked them. Then she comes out and says any woman should be believed, who’s been raped, why don’t they talk about that? There’s nothing good about what he said, but we’re not hiring a saint and none of us are saints either. She’s certainly not."
Student at Washington University
Clinton Supporter
From Orange County, CA
"It's just really shocking to me that there are still so many women in support of him after he said that. I'm friends with a lot of guys, and I'm in the Greek system. I've never heard a man speak about a woman like that, even the guys that are in fraternities. I just think it’s difficult to hear that especially from someone who’s going to hold such an important role---or thinks that he’s going to hold such an important role in the country. My mom’s very conservative. She was saying that’s just what guys say. It’s locker room banter. I don't think it is, and I don't think it’s appropriate for the man who wants to run the country and be the most powerful man in the world."
Student at Washington University
Not voting
From Boca Raton, Fl
"He was just doing it for humor. It was 10 years ago. Still definitely ridiculous. I think this is definitely a blow for the Republican party. I don’t think that apology was in any way sincere. Let’s talk about the real questions here. Where are Hillary’s emails? It’s something that really concerns me, absolutely. I mean that’s our national security we’re talking about here. If I vote for Trump, our country’s going to go to shit, right? But I can’t vote for Hillary after Benghazi, are you serious? She slept through a terror attack and then blamed it on the respondents. They died and she blamed it on them."
Teacher
Clinton supporter
From St. Louis, MO
“He’s said these things before about women and about minorities. I thought when he said the things before about women being pigs and minorities living in hell that people would say to themselves, 'that’s not the America I envision.' It’s hard for me to believe women are still voting for him when he’s said these harsh things about women. But I wouldn’t bring it up if I was her. I would let the media, let the people, let the students bring the questions up during the debate, because he has to answer to them and not to her. If that’s what you’re saying behind closed doors, that’s what you truly believe.”
Student at Bradley University
Republican
From St. Louis
“He said some things that were pretty bad, and I didn’t like it. Relatively, I’m not as phased about that as by some of the things Hillary Clinton has done in the past. I’ve said things just like that. My dad has. Almost every male I’ve ever met has said something like that in private. Every female I’ve ever met probably has said something like that in private. Hillary Clinton has defended rapists that have raped 12-year-old girls. In 1978, she was a 20-something lawyer. She defended a rapist.”
AFGE Union Organizer
Clinton Supporter
Tulsa, OK
“I think it just adds to the load of incorrect approaches that he takes on working people issues. It’s disrespectful to women in general but he’s not right on working peoples issues. Period...Women in the workplace have long suffered disparity in pay, challenges in being able to have family leave, time to care for a family, that’s historic in our country. And it’s something we’ve been moving to, to try to correct, but there has been opposition to correcting these things...It’s not every man that talks that way. Men have greater respect. We grew up with our moms, with our aunts, some have sisters, and then some of us have daughters and she of us have granddaughters, and we would be ticked if somebody spoke to a blood family member of ours in that manner, so we should be ticked if that person talks to a neighbor's child that same way.”
