Former president Donald Trump and his legal team tried to ban his infamous Access Hollywood tape from his rape trial. For those who don't remember, Trump bragged about "doing whatever you want" and grabbing women "by the p***y." Moreover, his attorneys Alina Habba and Michale Madaio requested a ban of the tape based on court papers obtained Thursday (February 16). Furthermore, they called it “irrelevant and highly prejudicial,” and that it “might unjustly be used to suggest to jurors that Trump had a propensity for sexual assault and therefore must have raped Carroll.” Also, they want references to it blocked alongside the tape itself, which surfaced when he first ran for President.
Not only are these requests questionably obfuscating trial, but the clip formed part of people's perception of him years ago. As such, it's hard to imagine a judge or jury ignore his words, however banned. “I’m automatically attracted to beautiful [women]," Trump told Access Hollywood host Billy Bush in 2005. "I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p***y. You can do anything.”
Furthermore, the former Commander in Chief's legal team also sought to block testimonies from two women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct. Moreover, 26 women accused him over the years, and he denied any and all claims. For this specific case, whose civil suit begins in April, writer E. Jean Carroll said Trump assaulted her in a department store in the mid-'90s. While Trump said she was lying and not his "type," he mistook her for his ex-wife Marla Maples during an October deposition.
Meanwhile, ex-wife Ivana Trump reportedly said in a 1990 divorce deposition that Trump assaulted her the year prior. However, she later claimed that she accused him, but not in the "literal or criminal sense." Even considering that, 26 stories risk being ignored in trial, and the court's decision on these tape bans could make or break Trump's accountability. Come back to HNHH for the latest news on Donald Trump and whether his trial will look at the full picture.