Elections

Melania Trump says Bill Clinton’s history is fair game

By Lesley Clark

lclark@mcclatchydc.com

October 17, 2016 05:22 PM

Melania Trump, wife of Donald Trump, passes former President Bill Clinton before the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Oct. 9, 2016.
Melania Trump, wife of Donald Trump, passes former President Bill Clinton before the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Oct. 9, 2016. Julio Cortez AP
Melania Trump, wife of Donald Trump, passes former President Bill Clinton before the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Oct. 9, 2016. Julio Cortez AP
WASHINGTON

Would-be first lady Melania Trump, who has kept a low-profile since the Republican National Convention, sat down for two interviews this week, talking about her take on her husband’s crude comments – “offensive” – and the campaign’s decision to bring up Bill Clinton’s misconduct – “they” started it.

Trump had kept out of the public eye, but for appearances at debates, after her July convention speech, which contained passages from a Michelle Obama convention speech. But she granted interviews on Monday to Trump-friendly Fox News and to CNN, which Donald Trump criticizes as “Clinton News Network.”

Melanie Trump says the 2005 hot mic tape revealed Trump and Billy Bush talking like two teenage boys who 'should behave better,' but that the whole leak was organized from the opposition against her husband. And in his job interview training with

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Fox’s full interview will air Tuesday during “FOX & Friends.” Clips aired on Monday show Trump saying she found her husband’s remarks on a 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape boasting of forcing himself on women “offensive to me” and inappropriate.

“He apologized to me,” Trump said. “And I accept his apology. And we are moving on.”

Trump said the tape “is not the man that I know” and praised him as a “successful businessman, entrepreneur, entertainer to achieving so much in his life.” She noted that “being in so many shows, so many tapes, it’s very hard to run for public office. And he did this anyway. He said, ‘I want to help American people. I want to keep America safe. I want to bring back jobs, bring back economy, so our children, our futures will be the best way possible.’ ”

She last week demanded a retraction and apology and threatened to sue People Magazine after a writer accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her.

Trump called it fair for the press and her husband’s campaign to raise past allegations of sexual misconduct against Bill Clinton, saying that her own past had been invoked. (The New York Post in July published nude photographs of Melania, a former model.)

“They’re asking for it. They started,” she said. “They started from the beginning of the campaign putting my picture from modeling days. That was my modeling days, and I’m proud what I did. I worked very hard.”

Lesley Clark: 202-383-6054, @lesleyclark

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