Howard Stern on Monday said he didn't think Donald Trump was engaging in "locker room talk" when the Republican presidential nominee said in a 2005 tape that he could grab women "by the pussy" because he was a star.
Stern was referencing an Access Hollywood tape that recently became public in which Trump made a series of lewd comments with host Billy Bush. On Stern's radio show Monday, the shock jock said he did think that Bush was egging Trump on, an explanation also offered by Trump's wife, Melania. But, Stern added, invading a woman's space couldn't be explained away as normal banter between guys.
"Believe me, when I'm around guys, 85% of the time you're talking about pussy," Stern said. "But I have never been in the room where someone has said, 'Grab them by the pussy.'"
"I've never heard that term before," co-host Robin Quivers replied.
"No, no one's ever advocated going that step where you get a little bit like, 'Hey, I'm going to invade someone's space,'" Stern said.
Stern added he considered his radio show a place where people could engage in locker room talk. Monday's show also featured parody songs about pussy, a spoof of what Hillary Clinton would sound like if she sexually harassed a man, and an interview with "Lee King Snatch."
"Locker room talk to me is guys are either talking about who's hot, or either what they've done to chicks or what they're hoping to do to chicks," Stern said.
Trump has frequently appeared on Stern's show over the years, and his comments ranking women by their appearance and his initial support of the Iraq war have become issues in his campaign for president. Stern said he would not release old tapes to "fuck him over" — a courtesy he said he would give any guest.
As for the campaign, Stern said he believes Trump has been unpleasantly surprised by the attention he has received and his advancement to become the Republican nominee.
"I don't think this guy ever thought anyone would vote for him," Stern said.