After the release of a shocking 2005 video featuring Donald Trump and Billy Bush using vulgar language aired, an NBC executive said Bush would not be punished by the network.
The Today Show host will not be removed from the show, although Fox News reported that producers are “appalled” by the video.
“It happened 11 years ago,” said an NBC insider. They said the television host was "younger and more immature."
The insider also said Bush was "embarrassed by this" but he still had his job.
Bush is expected to address the incident during the 9 a.m. hour of the Monday morning edition of the show, which he co-hosts. Bush has also released an apology, saying “Obviously I’m embarrassed and ashamed. It’s no excuse, but this happened 11 years ago — I was younger, less mature and acted foolishly in playing along. I’m very sorry.”
The video raised multiple eyebrows when it first came to light earlier this week. In the clip, Trump and Bush are heard discussing groping women and using derogatory and misogynistic language. The two men discuss failed attempts at seduction.
When actress Arianne Zucker is seen, Bush is heard saying “Your girl’s hot as sh*t, in the purple.”
Trump has received particular flack for his comment of “Grab them by the pussy” in the clip, along with comments insinuating that he kisses women without permission. “And when you’re a star, they let you do it,” Trump says in the video. “You can do anything.”
Bush is heard responding “Whatever you want.”
Bush is a cousin of former president George W. Bush and nephew of former president George H. W. Bush, although he has never been a political figure. Instead, he has spent most of his career hosting television shows and working on entertainment news.
University of Southern California's Gould School of Law professor and entertainment lawyer Jonathan Handel said Bush should excuse himself from future Trump coverage. “Someone in even a faux-journalist position has a lot of power to influence attitudes and behavior," he said. "This isn't so much about journalist ethics as it is the line between respectful behavior and vulgar behavior.”