Trump Tapes: Students react to Trump’s comments about women

In this image made from video, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets supporters outside his Trump Tower building in New York on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016. Trump insisted Saturday he would "never" abandon his White House bid, rejecting a growing backlash from Republican leaders nationwide who disavowed the GOP's presidential nominee after he was caught on tape bragging about predatory advances on women. (AP Photo/Ezra Kaplan)
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In this image made from video, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets supporters outside his Trump Tower building in New York on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016. Trump insisted Saturday he would “never” abandon his White House bid, rejecting a growing backlash from Republican leaders nationwide who disavowed the GOP’s presidential nominee after he was caught on tape bragging about predatory advances on women. (AP Photo/Ezra Kaplan)

Late last week, a video surfaced of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump using crude and vulgar language towards women in 2005.

Trump was on a bus with Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush where their mics were left on. Their conversation was recorded as they discussed Trump’s failed attempt to seduce Entertainment Tonight host Nancy O’Dell.

Trump was recorded saying phrases such as, “I moved on her like a b—h, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married” and “I did try and f— her. She was married.”

Political supporters began Friday to withdraw their support for Trump, such as Carly Fiorina, who suggested that the RNC should replace Trump with his vice presidential running mate Mike Pence.

Pence was also quoted as saying, “I do not condone his remarks and cannot defend them.” Pence has also canceled most of his campaign stops for the upcoming week.

West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito also pulled her support for Trump, releasing a statement saying, “As a woman, a mother and a grandmother to three young girls, I am deeply offended by Mr. Trump’s remarks, and there is no excuse for the disgusting and demeaning language. Women have worked hard to gain the dignity and respect we deserve. The appropriate next step may be for him to reexamine his candidacy.”

Women across the country have voiced their opinions about Trump and his comments from eleven years ago. Female Marshall University students have also been offended by the presidential candidate’s comments.

“It almost makes me feel like his view of women is just like we’re not even humans, like we’re more or less for his enjoyment,” Whitney Hill, a Marshall University student, said. “It’s just really something that I don’t respect, because I’m a Christian and that’s just not really how I think men should treat women.”

“I already didn’t like him, but I just can’t believe he’s not worried about making comments like that,” Octavia Wilson, a Marshall student, said on how this will affect her view when she goes into the voting booth this November.

“I just feel like he thinks he can do no wrong and say whatever he wants to say without any consequences, and how can someone like that represent the United States of America?” Wilson said.

Trump’s defense for his comments in the second debate was that it was just “locker room talk.” During the debate when asked about the video, Trump said, “That was locker room talk. I’m not proud of it. I am a person who has great respect for people, for my family, for the people of this country.”

For men on Marshall’s campus, this topic could be seen as a sensitive subject with the phrase “locker room talk.”

“I don’t engage in ‘locker room talk,’” Marshall University student David Hanan said. “I don’t think it’s ever appropriate to talk about a woman that way. I think it’s disgusting. Horrendous. And that no one who has that view point should be put in a position of leadership.”

“It was obviously inappropriate; you shouldn’t say things about women that way,” Marshall student Matthew Wheeler said. “We’re all made from God, I think degrading anybody that way is just inappropriate. … Honestly, I have no idea [if this has made me change the way I will vote.] Donald Trump is a man, Donald Trump sins just like everybody else does. He messed up just like everybody else does; Hillary Clinton has also messed up just as much as he has.”

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan told Republican House members that he will no longer defend Donald Trump’s actions Monday. Ryan has now decided to stop campaigning for Trump for the next four weeks and has decided to focus on maintaining the House majority that the Republicans still control. Ryan has not unendorsed Trump.

Tom Jenkins can be contacted at [email protected].