NEW YORK, Oct. 14 (UPI) — Meredith Vieira says she wasn’t surprised to hear about the Donald Trump and Billy Bush tape.
The 62-year-old “Today” show correspondent weighed in on the Republican presidential candidate and Today host’s leaked conversation about women on Thursday’s episode of “Watch What Happens Live.”
“I’m sorry to say that it wasn’t surprising to me — and I know that sounds awful — but we’ve seen a consistent pattern with Donald Trump, consistent with that attitude toward so many different kinds of people,” Vieira told host Andy Cohen.
“I should be shocked and it is shocking, but I wasn’t surprised,” she said. “To paraphrase a columnist who talked about him and this piggish behavior, ‘That’s an insult to pigs ’cause pigs are awesome.'”
Vieira was unable to talk about Bush, who was suspended from the “Today” show Sunday after the Washington Post released a 2005 hot mic recording of Trump and Bush making lewd comments about women. Bush’s Access Hollywood Live co-hosts defended him this week despite his remarks on the tape.
“He always treated me with kindness, such respect,” Kit Hoover said on Monday’s episode. “It was just devastating to watch all this unfold. The Billy that I know — and a lot of people would say — has the biggest heart of anybody, and he is a good person.”
“One of the first people to call me and congratulate me when I announced that I was going to be getting this job was Billy,” Natalie Morales added. “He also offered advice and offered to help with my move and transition.”
Vieira, who has interviewed Trump several times in her career, said on WWHL that she no longer considers the businessman a “pussycat under it all,” as she told a “Today” audience in 2007. The television personality added that Trump was “always very nice” to her.
