Billy Bush to Apologize — for WHAT?
Billy Bush plans to apologize on Monday’s TODAY show — but I have a feeling that the apology will be for exactly the wrong thing:
Billy Bush is scheduled to be in his anchor seat for the 9 a.m. hour of the Today show on Monday, NBC executives confirm.
He will address his vulgar comments made during a 2005 hot mic conversation with Donald Trump for an Access Hollywood segment, which Bush was then hosting.
“The plan is for him to have a chance to apologize,” said an NBC source.
At this point, NBC executives are clearly hoping that Bush, who just joined the show this year from Access Hollywood, can recover from the scandal that has imperiled Trump’s presidential campaign and the Republican party as a whole.
You know, if some jackass TV anchor was a pig on a hot mic and he wants to apologize for it, fine. Who cares? The man is not running for office.
Here’s the real thing Billy Bush and NBC News should be apologizing for: holding on to this information for so long.
Think about it. Billy Bush is a host of NBC’s TODAY Show. Let me make this very clear: the TODAY show is part of NBC News. Just to drive the point home, let me quote from NBC Universal’s own Web site:
NBC News is a global leader in news across all broadcast and digital platforms. Its leading and award-winning television news broadcasts include NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, TODAY, Meet the Press and Dateline, as well as primetime specials and breaking news reports.
Got that? What this means, ladies and gentlemen, is that a host of an NBC News program had game-changing information about a major-party candidate for the U.S. presidency and said nothing. Billy Bush knew Donald Trump had talked about sexually assaulting women on a regular basis. What’s more, he had this information since 2005 — meaning he had it since June 2015, when Donald Trump got into the race.
And he said nothing.
So we’re told that Billy Bush is going to apologize tomorrow. Lovely. But if I can quote my friend Andrew Breitbart from one of the last tweets he ever sent: apologize for WHAT?
Is Billy Bush going to apologize for being a misogynist pig? Or is he going to apologize for withholding critical information from the voters?
If you ask me, the latter apology is the apology that matters — and that apology is owed to the American public . . . by NBC News.
UPDATE: Looks like Billy may have gotten the Brian Williams treatment:
NBC spokesman says Billy won’t be on air tomorrow, no news on when he’ll be back
— Hadas Gold (@Hadas_Gold) October 9, 2016
[Cross-posted at RedState.]
The obvious reason is: the tape makes him look like a douche too.
Not a valid journalistic excuse.
Patterico (bcf524) — 10/9/2016 @ 3:34 pmBilly Bush plans to apologize on Monday’s TODAY show — but I have a feeling that the apology will be for exactly the wrong thing…
Fox News is reporting his appearance has been pulled from the show.
“NBC- Proud As A Peacock!” — NBC Entertainment promo slogan
DCSCA (797bc0) — 10/9/2016 @ 3:38 pmPatterico, I don’t like Trump and never have. I and many others have made our reasons clear.
But this business of holding onto stuff was intentional. These creeps had all this.
They wanted Trump to be the nominee. Because this stuff would have killed his candidacy during the primaries.
But the DNC-MSM knew that Trump was the one candidate that HRC could beat.
Simon Jester (c8876d) — 10/9/2016 @ 3:39 pmIf only I had mentioned that in an update published at the same time as the rest of the post.
“I don’t read posts all the way through” — DCSCA as Gilligan, 1923
Patterico (bcf524) — 10/9/2016 @ 3:40 pmGood Lord. I keep expecting DCSA to start quoting pr0n movies. He is running out of regular movies.
I’ll turn it over to nk.
Simon Jester (c8876d) — 10/9/2016 @ 3:40 pm@4– So, we cross-posted.
DCSCA (797bc0) — 10/9/2016 @ 3:44 pm“When you’re slapped, you’ll take it and like it.” Sam Spade [Humphrey Bogart] ‘The Maltese Falcon’ 1941
I don’t read Disco’s comments, Simon. And I’ve just stopped reading happyfeet’s too.
BTW, Firefox works great in Windows 10. Much better than it did in Windows 7, and much better than Chrome does in either.
nk (dbc370) — 10/9/2016 @ 3:45 pmAn obvious question: Did Billy Bush remember this incident before the news broke this week, and if he did why didn’t he whisper in his Uncle Jeb’s ear about it?
M. Scott Eiland (046eb0) — 10/9/2016 @ 3:46 pmGreetings:
His name is “Bush”. Get it, “Bush”.
11B40 (6abb5c) — 10/9/2016 @ 3:54 pmyeah well i’m still reading your comments Mr. nk even when they hurt my feelings cause of I’m curious what you think about stuff is why
happyfeet (28a91b) — 10/9/2016 @ 3:56 pm“Trump had talked about sexually assaulting women on a regular basis.”
I’m going to need a cite for that. From what I saw, Trump was talking about groupies that liked it. And other than that he talked about hitting on women, but if that is sexual assault the feminists are right and all men are rapists.
LBascom (1ec93b) — 10/9/2016 @ 3:57 pmback on topic i don’t really have any feelings about the billy bush
i suspect they wanna keep him in their back pocket for so when the story needs another hook they can trot him out and get another day or two of coverage out of it
happyfeet (28a91b) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:01 pmAnd here is the problem: the Dems will say “regularly.”
You will say, “Prove that.”
They will say: “So you approve of those kinds of actions?”
It’s the same game plan, and it irritates me.
I don’t know what could have been done, other than support a candidate without the rich diversity of DNC approved baggage.
Simon Jester (c8876d) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:03 pmAnd nk, always nice to hear from you. Whether or not we agree, I always learn from your point of view. I particularly appreciate your historical knowledge. Plus, you like the same SF authors I do.
Simon Jester (c8876d) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:12 pmIt would have been really handy to have this come out the week before the Convention, or several points during the primaries. But as Patterico and others suggested all along, the MSM was holding these stories back, while pimping Trump during the primaries to the easily-influenced, and always planning to drop this bomb right about now.
Their defensive story will be that Billy Bush held off because it reflected badly on him, “but just couldn’t allow this man to have a chance of becoming President” or some such rot. And come December all will be forgiven.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:12 pmHis name is “Bush”. Get it, “Bush”.
11B40 (6abb5c) — 10/9/2016 @ 3:54 pm
That “B” in “11B40” is the same as the “B” in Bill Clinton! And the “11” looks like LLs, too! A coincidence? I think not! Code, people! CODE!
Kevin M (25bbee) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:16 pmSure. Here you go.
Patterico (bcf524) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:18 pmWell, in this case, it’s from my knowledge of Middle East culture, dating back to the Zoroastrian Persians. A certain kind of “man” was allowed to associate freely with the women, even inside the harem, and I understand it’s the same thing in the entertainment industry, today.
nk (dbc370) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:19 pmOf course, in all fairness to 11B40, the family connection to the Bushes is kinda ugly. BUt they aren’t so stupid as to have waited this long if it was their doing.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:20 pmthem pajamas people were promoting a piece what styled this as Bush family revenge on Mr. Trump
i didn’t click to read it though
it’s not like jeborah came in a close second or anything
happyfeet (28a91b) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:22 pm11B40 means he was in the Infantry and reached the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-7). Guessing Vietnam.
nk (dbc370) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:23 pm“that apology is owed to the American public . . . by NBC News.”
NBC has no obligation whatsoever to the American people. The American people should be aware NBC operates as a propaganda organ for the Democrat Party and releases and/or withholds stories based upon a political harm/benefit analysis.
An apology would imply the abrogation of a duty and NBC has no such duty to dupes too ignorant to avoid their propaganda.
Rick Ballard (b9de6e) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:29 pm@3 I don’t like Trump and never have.
Hmmm.
What’s not to like:
He’s wealthy.
He’s successful.
He’s Presbyterian.
He’s white.
He has a pretty wife.
He has lovely ex-wives.
He has attractive children.
He has lots of property.
He has an entrepreneurial spirit.
He has a big airplane.
He has a cool helicopter.
He has money in the bank.
He has plastic in his pocket.
He has golf courses to play on all over the world.
And he lives in a magnificent, golden tower in that ‘shining city on hill’ with a lifestyle and attitude nostalgic Reaganites and most-driven Americans enviously dream, swoon and aspire to.
“Oh right- New York…” – Steve Martin, SNL monologue
DCSCA (797bc0) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:30 pmLBascom
More like “Grope-ies” amirite?
Pinandpuller (f54db4) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:30 pmapparently Mr. Trump is a genuinely skilled golf player
happyfeet (28a91b) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:33 pmI ain’t first class but I ain’t White Trash
I’m wild and a little crazy too
Some girls don’t like boys like me
Ah, but some girls do -Sawyer Brown
Pinandpuller (f54db4) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:35 pmI was looking to vote in the Drudge poll about who won tonight’s debate, but it’s not up yet. Why? It’s not like you have to watch to vote.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:40 pmIn the last week, RCP has Trump losing NC, NV, CO and OH
Kevin M (25bbee) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:49 pmHere’s an apology Murdoch Bros. News owes us all – in real time.
DJT is having a LIVE presser, with actual rape and sexual assault victims who have been shamed, and worse, by the other candidate.
What are they showing? A talkfest guessing about what DJT will say and do two hours hence!
He’s right there. SAYING stuff in an UNPRECEDENTED pre-debate appearance! And he is ignored for a Trippi/Love debate about the debate.
Pat – Fantastic column.
Ed from SFV (3400a5) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:56 pmBilly Bush is a host of NBC’s TODAY Show.
The less serious, 9 am hour. He;s only been a host since May. Before that he worked on Access Hollywood, which is now owned by a different division of NBC, and he and the host of 9 am hour swapped jobs in May.
I think nobody knew this sort of thing was on videotape.
This is said to have been discovered when the “Access Hollywood” producers began looking through old videotape of Donald Trump – now maybe somebody there knew to look for that.
They were going to do a segment with it after the Alicia Machado controversy started (when Hillary Clinton sprung it on Donald Trump in the first debate) There was also an Associated Press report about former staffers on “The Apprentice” saying he’d engaged in lewd behavior to hype interest.
Executive Producer Rob Silverstein was suppposedly going to broadcast the footage and a script had been written. Bt the New York Post says he told the Washington Post “I am the last person in the world who would release the tape” (but maybe that refers to leaking it tp anotehr media outlet.)
NBC was also working on it. NBC knew. At least a week ago it did.
Now maybe both of them would have produced something more gentle.
But they were scooped by the Washington Post because somebody leaked it.
Sammy Finkelman (6e331b) — 10/9/2016 @ 4:57 pmuh-oh
are we sure billy’s landed yet
happyfeet (28a91b) — 10/9/2016 @ 5:09 pmOh, po’ po’ Donawd. Fox is not giving him fwee aiwtime any time he wants it no mo’. Bad, bad Fox!
nk (dbc370) — 10/9/2016 @ 5:21 pmWhy do these Bushes like palling around with mysogynists?
Pinandpuller (f54db4) — 10/9/2016 @ 5:34 pmI am not sure if this would have mattered at all if revealed earlier. This is in keeping with who he was all along.
MD in Philly (f9371b) — 10/9/2016 @ 5:51 pmThe timing of it is bad for Trump and the GOP because they were hoping to get at least a few weeks of good behavior out of him before the election.
Fu*k them all and feed ’em 5 day old fish.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 10/9/2016 @ 5:53 pm17- Trump said they liked it. It ain’t assault if they like it.
LBascom (1ec93b) — 10/9/2016 @ 5:53 pm