WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) YOU KNOW MY FIRST GUEST AS A
FORMER ANCHOR OF THE "TODAY SHOW" AND "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD,"
AND FROM ONE VERY INFAMOUS BUS RIDE.
PLEASE WELCOME BILLY BUSH.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: NOW, THIS IS THE FIRST INTERVIEW YOU HAVE DONE
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT BUS SINCE DONALD TRUMP BECAME OUR
PRESIDENT.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: AND SINCE HE STARTED PRIVATELY DENYING THAT
THAT'S HIM ON THAT BUS.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
( LAUGHTER ) >> BY THE WAY, EWOULD ALSO LIKE
TO SAY THAT'S NOT ME ON THE BUS.
YOU DON'T GET TO SAY THAT BECAUSE I WAS THERE AND THE LAST
14 MONTHS OF MY LIFE I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH IT.
YOU DEALT WITH IT FOR 14 MINUTES AND WENT ON TO BE THE PRESIDENT.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT.
DON'T GIVE AWAY THE ENDING.
( LAUGHTER ) SO REMIND US ABOUT THE SPECIFICS
OF THE TAPE.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'M GOING TO ROLL THE TAPE AND EXPLAIN TO
US -- >> CAN EWITH MAKE A DEAL IT'S
THE LAST TIME OR NO?
>> Stephen: WELL, HERE'S THE CRAZY THING -- THAT'S ACTUALLY A
GOOD POINT BECAUSE YOU HAVE THIS NEW EDITORIAL YOU WROTE IN THE
"NEW YORK TIMES" PRINTED TODAY, AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU WROTE
IT OR WANTED TO SAY WHAT'S IN HERE, BECAUSE IT'S A
WELL-WRITTEN EDITORIAL AND YOU MAKE A LOT OF POINTS IN HERE
WHICH IT'S REALLY WORTH READING, BUT NO ONE WOULD HAVE PRINTED
THIS UNLESS THIS STORY HAD SOME BACK AROUND AGAIN BY DONALD
TRUMP PRIVATELY DENYING IT.
THERE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SORT OF THE MOMENT TO BRING THIS BUS
BACK, AND I COULDN'T SHOW THIS FOOTAGE OF THE BUS UNLESS HE
DENIED IT AGAIN, TOO.
I DON'T THINK CBS WOULD HAVE LET ME.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
NO, LOOK, HE, LAST WEEK, FOR SOME REASON CAME OUT WITH
"THAT'S NOT MY VOICE ON THE TAPE."
LIKE I SAID, YOU CAN'T SAY THAT.
I WAS THERE, YOU WERE THERE, THAT'S YOUR VOICE ON THE TAPE.
I TOLD YOU ABOUT MY OWN PERSONAL PROBLEM WITH IT, BUT THEN YOU'VE
GOT 20 WOMEN AT THE TIME -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EXACT NUMBER
IS BECAUSE THERE IS MORE -- BUT 20 WOMEN WHO USED THEIR NAMES.
WE'VE GOT POWERFUL PEOPLE BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE NOW AND
SOMETIMES THERE IS ANONYMOUS SOURCES.
ALL OF THESE WOMEN CAME OUT WITH THEIR NAMES AND TOLD THEIR
DETAILED ACCOUNTS.
SO WHEN HE SAID THIS, IT INFURIATED ME ON THE PERSONAL
FRONT, AND THEN I ENDED UP GOOGLING AND I READ AN ARTICLE
WITH ALL OF THESE WOMEN'S ACCOUNTS BECAUSE, WHEN THAT
ARTICLE FIRST CAME OUT, IT WAS 13 DAYS AFTER I HAD BEEN FIRED,
SO I WAS IN MY OWN PERSONAL SHOCK, FIGHT OR FLIGHT, AND, SO,
I NEVER REALLY READ IT ALL THE WAY, AND AS I READ THESE, I
SAID, 20 WOMEN DON'T GET TOGETHER AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW
WHAT WOULD BE REALLY FUN?
LET'S TAKE DOWN A POWERFUL GUY TOGETHER.
HA HA.
NO, THEY DON'T.
AND THEIR NAMES.
AND I SAID, YOU'RE REOPENING WOUNDS ON THEM, TOO.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
STOP PLAYING AROUND WITH PEOPLE'S LIVES.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THAT UPSET ME.
SO I WROTE.
>> Stephen: WELL, AND AS I SAID, HIM SAYING THAT ACTUALLY
BROUGHT THIS PARTICULAR SUBJECT AROUND IN CONJUNCTION WITH SORT
OF THE CULTURAL MOMENT WE'RE IN NOW WHERE REVELATIONS OF SEXUAL
ABUSE, HARASSMENT AND IMPROPRIETY ARE PUTTING NEW SPOT
LIGHTS ON THE ACCUSATIONS OF THE PRESIDENT.
AND HE STUCK, I'M GOING TO SAY HIS FINGER IN THIS DOOR HINGE BY
DENYING THIS.
IT'S REALLY DUMB.
HE'S A DUMB DUMB.
>> I DESCRIBED IT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) I DESCRIBED IT.
>> Stephen: HOLD ON TO YOUR DESCRIBING.
>> NO, I'M TRYING TO KEEP YOU FROM AIRING IT.
>> Stephen: WE'RE GOING TO AIR IT AND CUT EVERYTHING OTHER THAN
THIS CLIP.
JIM?
>> I'M AUTOMATICALLY ATTRACTED TO BEAUTIFUL WOMEN.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU HEAR IT ALMOST
A YEAR AND A HALF LATER?
>> THE FIRST TIME I HEARD IT WAS THREE DAYS BEFORE IT LEAKED AND,
SO, IT WAS LIKE A GUT PUNCH.
IT'S A GUT PUNCH NOW.
IT WILL ALWAYS BE.
AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, IT WAS 2005, AND HIS RATINGS WERE
THROUGH THE ROOF AND HE WAS THE BIG STAR OF NBC, AND I SORT OF
EQUATED WHAT HE WAS SAYING TO SOME KIND OF, YOU KNOW, CRASS
STANDUP ACT, ANDREW DYESS CLAY PERFORMANCE, HE'S NOT HOME, HE
DOESN'T ACTUALLY DO THOSE THINGS.
>> Stephen: THE CAMERA WASN'T ON HIM.
WHY DID IT SEEM LIKE A PERFORMANCE TO YOU?
>> HE WAS REGALING THE SEVEN GUYS ON THERE AND DOING HIS BIT.
>> Stephen: SO HE WAS JUST SORT OF --
>> IF I THOUGHT IT WAS A MAN DETAILING A SEXUAL ASSAULT
STRATEGY TO ME I WOULD HAVE CALLED THE F.B.I., NOT JUST
REPORTED IT TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCER.
SO THAT WAS IT FOR ME.
>> Stephen: SO WHY WERE YOU ON THE BUS WITH HIM TO BEGIN WITH
AGAIN?
>> WELL, IT WAS SEASON THREE OF THE "APPRENTICE.
I WAS WITH HIM A LOT.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE THE HOST.
LIKE I WROTE IN THE OP-ED, A LOT OF US WERE, THE BIG WORD IS
COMPLICIT.
BUT EVERYONE HAS TO KISS THE RING A BIT OF THE DONALD BECAUSE
HE WAS MAKING SO MUCH MONEY FOR NBC.
>> Stephen: AND WHERE WAS HE WEARING THAT RING?
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
( PIANO RIFF ) I DON'T WANT TO MAKE TOO LIGHT
OF IT BECAUSE YOU STATE IN HERE -- I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY THE
PHRASES YOU USE -- BUT YOU FEEL SHAME WHEN YOU THINK OF YOUR
BEHAVIOR, BEING ASSOCIATED WITH DONALD TRUMP, THAT YOU GAVE UP
SOME PART YOU EVERSELF TO A MAN YOU DIDN'T RESPECT.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
WELL, I MEAN, NO QUESTION, I FEEL LIKE I SACRIFICED A LET
BUILT OF WHO I AM IN THE MOMENT, AND, LIKE I SAID, I DON'T KNOW
IF WE'LL EVER GET TO THE PLACE WHERE WE ADVANCE THE
CONVERSATION BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING TO VICTIMS AND
PERPETRATORS AND WE'RE SEEING STORY AFTER STORY AFTER STORY.
EVENTUALLY WE ALL SAY IN THE MEDIA WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE
CONVERSATION ELEVATE AND, WHEN WE DO, WE'LL GET INTO HOW DO YOU
TALK TO BOYS IN PEE-WEE HOCKEY IN LOCKER ROOMS AND TEACH THEM
WHEN THE CONVERSATION GETS DEGRADING, HOW DO YOU EITHER
EXIT THE CONVERSATION, CHANGE THE TOPIC OR INTERVENE IN SOME
WAY?
THERE'S A LOT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON THAT FRONT.
I HOPE THAT WE DO GET THERE BECAUSE I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME
THINKING ABOUT IT.
>> Stephen: CAN I ASK YOU A FEW OF THE THINGS HE SAID THAT I
DIDN'T UNDERSTAND?
>> SURE.
>> Stephen: I MOVED ON HER LIKE A PITCH BUT I COULDN'T GET
THERE.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT SENTENCE.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> A LOT OF WHAT HE SAYS I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
>> Stephen: NO MATTER HOW I INTERPRET IT I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
WHAT DID YOU TAKE IT TO MEAN IN THE MOMENT?
>> I THINK HE WAS CALLING HIMSELF A -- I THINK HE MEANT
HIM, WHICH IS TOTALLY CONFUSED AND BACKWARDS.
YOU KNOW, HE GETS GOING AND I DON'T THINK HE REALLY NOSE --
>> Stephen: HE SAID I TOOK HER FURNITURE SHOPPING.
DOES THAT SEEM LIKE A COMMON FOREPLAY TO YOU?
>> HOW COULD YOU RESIST AN ARMOIRE?
ON TOP OF THE ADVANCES OF DONALD.
>> Stephen: MM-HMM.
NO, I MOVED ON HER -- THAT REALLY CONFUSED ME, TOO.
HE WAS LIKE A REPEATER.
HE REPEATS THINGS TWICE, SAYS THEM TWICE BECAUSE HIS MIND IS
CATCHING UP TO WHERE HE WENT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
IT'S GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL.
HE SAYS WHAT'S NEXT?
I'M GOING TO SAY BEAUTIFUL AGAIN WHILE I THINK OF WHAT'S NEXT.
THAT'S WHAT HE DOES.
>> Stephen: YOU SAID YOU'RE NOT PROUD OF YOUR BEHAVIOR ON
THAT BUS.
YOU'RE LAUGHING ALONG WITH EVERYBODY ELSE AT THE HORRIBLE
THINGS HE'S SAYING.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: I WOULD DESCRIBE YOUR BEHAVIOR AS BOORISH AND
SORT OF CALO, BUT YOU'RE NOT THE PERSON DRAGGING ABOUT ASSAULT,
YOU'RE NOT THE PERSON ACCUSED OF ASSAULT.
>> NO.
>> Stephen: ONE OF YOUR LOST YOUR JOBS, AND ONE OF YOU BECAME
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
>> IT'S IRONIC.
>> Stephen: DO YOU REMEMBER WHICH ONE OF THOSE IT IS, AT
THIS POINT?
>> AM I THE PRESIDENT?
>> Stephen: NO, YOU'RE NOT.
NO, I LOST MY JOB.
>> Stephen: WHEN YOU SAW HIM GET ELECTED, WHAT WAS YOUR
REACTION?
>> STEPHEN, IT'S AN UNBELIEVABLE IRONY.
THE VERY DAY HE WAS SWEARING IN AS THE 45th PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES, I WAS CHECKING IN TO THIS SOUL SEARCHING RETREAT
IN SANTA LENA, CALIFORNIA, NINE DAYS OFF THE GRID, NO PHONE, YOU
HAD TO CHECK IN YOUR PHONE.
IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF ME SAYING, ALL RIGHT, GET UP, STOP
BEING SORRY FOR YOURSELF, STOP WORRYING ABOUT THESE THINGS,
THERE'S LIFE TO LIVE, LET'S GO, GET BETTER B A BETTER MAN,
BETTER PERSON.
I PASSED THE TELEVISION IN THE OFFICE WHEN I WAS CHECKING IN.
HE'S GOT THE HAND UP AND I'M GOING INTO MY LITTLE CABIN TO DO
THE WORK.
TOUGH.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
IRONY.
>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT NBC FIRING YOU?
IN LIGHT OF MATT LAUER BEING FIRED FOR ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL
IMPROPRIETY?
>> ITS A DIFFICULT TIME.
I THINK IT WAS VERY HOT EMOTIONALLY IN THE COUNTRY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE MAN WHO WAS
CLOSED TO WINNING THE ELECTION AND A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENED
QUICKLY, BUT MY BOSS, MONTHS LATER, SAID PLUCKILY, I THINK WE
MAY HAVE MOVED A LITTLE QUICKLY.
>> Stephen: DID THEY MOVE ON YOU LIKE A BITCH?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> I SET MYSELF UP.
>> Stephen: BUT DO YOU THINK -- YOU WORKED ON THE
"TODAY SHOW."
MATT LAUER PROTECTED EOPLE FROM BEING FIRED FROM THAT SHOW.
DO YOU WISH HE WOULD HAVE PROTECTED YOU?
>> WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
HE TOLD ME THAT HE WENT PRIVATE LITO THE BOSSES AND LOOK THAT
LINE.
I SAID I APPRECIATE IT AND ACCEPTED IT AND THANKED HIM.
>> Stephen: YOU BELIEVED HE DID IT?
>> YEAH, I WOULD SAY I WOULD HAVE LIKED A CHANCE TO BE ABLE
TO ADDRESS THE AUDIENCE THAT FOLLOWING MONDAY, BUT IT WAS
AFTER THE DEBATE AND I THINK THE TAPE MADE IT IN TIME FOR THE
DEBATE.
I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE EVER ADDRESSED THE AUDIENCE.
>> Stephen: WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO IT NOW?
>> WELL, HERE WE ARE.
>> Stephen: WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS MEANS IN THE CULTURAL
CONTEXT OF THE MOMENT NOW WHERE WOMEN MUST BE BELIEVED?
>> YEAH, I AGREE WITH YOUR QUESTION, WOMEN MUST BE
BELIEVED, AND WE KIND OF HAVE TO FIND OUR WAY TO HAVE THE
DIALOGUE.
I'M WORRIED THAT THE DIALOGUE ISN'T GOING TO BE AROUND BECAUSE
WE GET ON TO THE NEXT THING, WE GET ON TO OUR PHONES, THE NEXT
OUTRAGE COMES, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH
AND I HOPE WE DO THAT.
>> Stephen: INTERESTINGLY, THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT HASN'T
ENDED.
>> NO.
>> Stephen: STARTED WITH HARVEY WEINSTEIN, AT LEAST THE
LATEST IT REGULATION OF IT, AND GOES ON TO THIS MOMENT.
>> I THINK THE BUS RIDE WAS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.
>> Stephen: ONE MORE THING TO ASK BEFORE WE GO, DID YOU TWEET
THIS THE OTHER DAY?
PUT AN INSTAGRAM?
WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH?
>> I WAS PLAYING GOLF WITH SOME FRIENDS AND I GOT HIT IN THE
FACE WITH A 3-WOOD -- ONE AWAY FROM A DRIVER -- FROM 60 YARDS
AND A TERRIBLE SLICE RIGHT INTO THE SIDE OF MY HEAD.
>> Stephen: AND IS THERE ANY CHANCE DONALD TRUMP LET THAT
BALL?
>> I DID SEE A GOLF CART SPEEDING AWAY.
IT WAS A GUY IN A PAIR OF PLEATED KHAKIS, VERY HIGH, WHITE
SHIRT, RED HAT, GOING QUICKLY.
>> Stephen: GIANT ASS?
TERRIBLE PANTY LINES.
( APPLAUSE ) BUT THE DOCTOR TOLD ME IF IT WAS
HALF AN INCH HIGHER YOU MIGHT HAVE DIED.
I SAID, I'M FINALLY LUCKY, THIS IS GREAT.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND THIS EDITORIAL.
BILLY BUSH, EVERYBODY!