Washington - Former NBC television host
Billy Bush accused US President Donald Trump of "indulging in
some revisionist history" for reportedly telling allies it was
not his voice making lewd remarks as the men waited to film a
segment for "Access Hollywood" in 2005.
"He said it. 'Grab ’em by the pussy,'" Bush wrote in an
editorial published in the New York Times on Sunday.
The New York Times reported last month that Trump has been
privately telling aides and allies, including at least one U.S.
senator, that the voice on the recording was not his.
That would be a reversal from his immediate acknowledgement
of responsibility after the tape surfaced weeks ahead of the
2016 presidential election. Trump said: "I said it, I was wrong,
and I apologise."
Reuters has not been able to verify the Times report that he
has been privately telling allies a different story.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for
comment on Bush's remarks. But White House spokeswoman Sarah
Sanders played down the Times report at a White House briefing
on November 27.
"The President hasn't changed his position. I think if
anything that the president questions, it's the media's
reporting on that accuracy," Sanders said.
Bush laughed on the video as Trump spoke and he lost his job
as a host of NBC's flagship morning "Today" show after the tape
was leaked to the media in October, upending Trump's campaign to
become president.