Arianne Zucker, who Donald Trump and Billy Bush infamously ogled in the infamous 2005 Access Hollywood bus tape, addressed what she thought about the widely-circulated clip, and how she felt Trump was an effective leader during his presidency.
The Days of Our Lives actress, 50, appeared Thursday on the Miss Understood podcast with Rachel Uchitel, who herself was involved in a national scandal as Tiger Woods' former mistress.
In the clip, which leaked during the 2016 presidential election, Trump and Bush were overheard on a hot mic speaking in a lascivious manner about Zucker as she approached the bus they were on.
After Trump remarked on how he unsuccessfully sought to bed Bush's then-Access Hollywood colleague Nancy O'Dell, Bush pointed out Zucker approaching the vehicle.
'Your girl's hot as s*** - in the purple,' Bush told Trump, who said he 'better use some Tic Tacs just in case' he started 'kissing her.'
Arianne Zucker, who Donald Trump and Billy Bush infamously ogled in the infamous 2005 Access Hollywood bus tape, addressed what she thought about the widely-circulated clip on a podcast Thursday
In the clip, which leaked during the 2016 presidential election, Trump and Bush were overheard ogling Zucker as she approached the bus they were on, with Bush later asking her to hug both of them since they had just gotten off of the bus
Trump then explained to Bush how his celebrity benefitted him when he was courting women.
'You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful ... I just start kissing them,' said the 45th president. 'It's like a magnet - just kiss, I don't even wait - and when you're a star they let you do it.
'You can do anything - grab them by the p**** - you can do anything.'
Zucker had 'nice legs,' Trump said, while Bush said she had 'good legs.'
After they got off the bus, Bush - who was swiftly let go from his plum Today Show job after the clip surfaced - encouraged Zucker to hug both him and Trump, since they both got off of the bus.
On the podcast, Zucker, who played Nicole Walker on NBC's Days of Our Lives from 1998 until earlier this year, made clear she didn't take offense to the discussion Trump and Bush had.
'He made a comment, I guess, about my legs and so did Billy Bush,' said Zucker, who subsequently filmed a soap opera scene with Trump after he got off the bus in 2005.
The Los Angeles native continued: 'Everybody has spoken poorly about somebody in their lifetime. I don't care who you are, everybody has, it's just people get caught on camera doing it - unfortunately, that happens all the time.
Zucker made clear she didn't take offense to the discussion Trump and Bush had
Zucker appeared Thursday on the Miss Understood podcast with Rachel Uchitel, who herself was involved in a national scandal as Tiger Woods' former mistress
'And if you've ever gone to a fraternity party, the things happen. So I'm going, "Sounds like something my fraternity guys I know would say." But I just didn't see it in the way that people were seeing it.'
Zucker said on the podcast that she 'felt attacked by the media' and 'knew all they wanted' was to diminish Trump's chances in the 2016 election against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
'I mean, the biggest thing was to get Trump off the ballot - I was like, that is not my job,' Zucker said.
Zucker said that while she's not in alignment with Trump's overall communications, she thinks he implemented strong policies during the span of his presidency from 2017-2021.
'I don't really like talking politics,' Zucker said, 'but as far as the way he speaks, could he do a better job of it? Absolutely.'
She added of Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate in the 2024 election: 'I think there are policies that were great that he did. I'm sure our pockets felt a little bit better four years ago than they do now. I know mine did.
'And so I think there were things … without getting too much into that … that I felt were really great.'
Zucker said that she wasn't 'going to judge the system' but felt there are problematic issues nationally, without delving into specifics.
Zucker said on the podcast that she 'felt attacked by the media' and 'knew all they wanted' was to diminish Trump's chances in the 2016 election against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton
Trump pictured on the campaign trail inRacine, Wisconsin on Wednesday
'I think people can probably hear the way I think by the things that I'm saying, but I'm very in the middle of what's going on in this country,' Zucker said. 'And I mean, if this is the conversation we want to have, I just feel like there is weaponization on both sides.'
Zucker's final day working on Days of Our Lives came last December 23, according to Deadline, and in February she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the show's executive producer Ken Corday and one-time director-executive producer Albert Alarr.
She said in court docs that she faced professional repercussions in the form of a slashed salary and an unrenewed contract after she was critical of Alarr's on-set conduct. Alarr, who exited the show last summer following an investigation into his behavior, has denied the allegations.
