We have all seen the video by now. Republican nominee for president, Donald Trump, is being interviewed by "Access Hollywood's" Billy Bush in 2005 and during some "locker room talk," Trump he talks about his failed conquests and borderline sexual assault of Access Hollywood co-host, Nancy O'Dell. He brags about how he can use his wealth to control and assualt women.
It solidifies that Trump is a disgusting, misogynistic liar who is extremely unfit for the presidency. We all knew that. If you paid attention to reality TV and popular culture in the past 15 years, you definitely have seen the over the top "character" he portrayed on his show "The Apprentice." He owned the Miss Universe pageant for god's sake, he has made money off of women's looks and being a jerk for decades and we've all known that. He's always been the same flamboyant jerk.
Billy Bush should be at fault for letting this happen. As an entertainment journalist for NBC's "Access Hollywood" at the time, he let journalism down. This year he was finally moved to the big leagues of NBC's news, "The Today Show." He left "Access Hollywood" and is now the host of "The Today Show's" third hour, most viewers figured he was going to eventually replace Matt Lauer. Up until the video was released.
He should be fired, as a journalist in training, he has no place in this industry. Journalists and the media get dragged through the mud for any tiny mistake that's made. We have to take law and ethics classes to learn how not to make the public upset over our articles. Still, every single professor stresses one important point, don't let the criticism deter you from being a journalist because this is an important job. Sure, we don't need journalists like Billy Bush ever, but we need journalists at the Washington Post who have the guts to release videos like this. They knew it would result in some bad things happening, but the value of better informing the public by publishing the video outweighed that. Yes there's a big difference between Access Hollywood and the Washington Post, but we all know the importance of the job.
Bush crossed the line during his time with Trump. He egged the situation on to a point where it didn't have to go. He should've stood up for his co-host and called Trump out. He has three daughters anyway, why would he just sit back and let this happen and laugh about it. Then he made the "Days of Our Lives" actress, Arianne Zucker give them both painful hugs before skipping around the set for them like a toy. She was obviously uncomfortable being in this situation, and Bush should've made the situation better, as a journalist if not becuase he wants to be a generally nice person.
Journalism does not need Billy Bush. Journalists are supposed to be independent people, who seek truth to make the public more imformed. He crossed the line and became engaged in a gross, egotistical and dehumanizing moment.
Billy Bush should be fired. No person should ever think that journalists can get away with doing the wrong thing. We did the right thing and have done it over and over during this election cycle, trying to make the public more informed so that come November everyone can make the best decision they can. Maybe we get it wrong sometimes, but we are not people who tolerate such gross behavior.
