The Washington Post reports:

Donald Trump bragged in vulgar terms about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women during a 2005 conversation caught on a hot microphone, saying that “when you’re a star, they let you do it,” according to a video obtained by The Washington Post.

Trump was talking to a man named Billy Bush from Access Hollywood, and Trump appears to have been very desperate to impress Bush with his prowess:

“I did try and f— her. She was married,” Trump says.

Trump continues: “And I moved on her very heavily. In fact, I took her out furniture shopping. She wanted to get some furniture. I said, ‘I’ll show you where they have some nice furniture.’”

“I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married,” Trump says. “Then all of a sudden I see her, she’s now got the big phony tits and everything. She’s totally changed her look.”

At that point in the audio, Trump and Bush appear to notice Arianne Zucker, the actress who is waiting to escort them into the soap-opera set.

“Your girl’s hot as s—, in the purple,” says Bush, who’s now a co-host of NBC’s “Today” show.

“Whoa!” Trump says. “Whoa!”

“I’ve got to use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her,” Trump says. “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait.”

“And when you’re a star, they let you do it,” Trump says. “You can do anything.”

“Whatever you want,” says another voice, apparently Bush’s.

“Grab them by the p—y,” Trump says. “You can do anything.”

Several thoughts ran through my head as I watched this video.

First, a lot of men sometimes speak in crude ways when they are around other men. In that sense, it is indeed “locker room” style talk, as Trump has called it in his statement on the matter. Except: 1) they weren’t in a locker room; 2) Trump isn’t 22 years old; 3) Trump was married to Melania when the tape was made; and 4) as crude as they sometimes get, I don’t think most guys talk about grabbing women “by the p***y.” That’s . . . a pretty bizarre thing to say.

Second, the timing is interesting, given the Wikileaks revelations about Hillary’s emails that came out today.

Third, there is a lot of chatter about how this is going to bring Trump down. There are jokes about Ted Cruz calling up his oppo researchers asking them why he paid them. But those of us who are veterans of the primary know: this would not have made a difference in the primary . . . and it may make no difference in the general. Trump being incredibly crude and talking about women in a derogatory manner is pretty much priced in to the stock.

Isn’t it?

All that being said, I think I share the views of a lot of parents when I wonder: when will my kids hear about this? Will their friends be talking about “grabbing women by the p***y?” What am I going to say to them about this if they bring it up?

And, of course, I had this thought:

Wow, did Republicans ever mess up by nominating this guy!

Of course, that’s not the first time I have had that particular thought, by a longshot . . .

Here’s the video:

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