"Hardball" host Chris Matthews said Wednesday that MSNBC and other networks "love to play" the recording of Donald Trump and Billy Bush having a vulgar conversation on the set of "Access Hollywood."
The tape created a firestorm when it came out in October of 2016, just before Trump won the presidential election. Trump defended his comments by saying it was merely "locker-room talk," while critics said it was evidence of his misogyny and even implicated him in sexual battery.
Now the story has taken on renewed relevance after it was reported that the FBI looked for evidence related to the tape during a recent raid of Michael Cohen's house. Matthews described playing the tape as "fun," adding that news about Trump is like nothing he’s ever seen.
"This is a strange time. You can't satirize it," Matthews told Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.). "You're my age pretty much. I have to tell you, I’ve never seen anything like this."
"You got the ‘Access Hollywood’ thing, which networks—us included—love to play it over and over again," Matthews said. "It’s fun."
"He's saying these horrible things, embarrassing things that cost Billy Bush his job but not him," Matthews added.
Then Matthews moved onto Trump’s comments about the U.S.’s missile technology, arguing that those comments seemed strange and sensual.
"At the same time, you've got him talking in almost caressing language about my nice smart missiles," Matthews said. "It's strange, senator."
Blumenthal did not respond to Matthews’ comments about "Access Hollywood," Billy Bush, or Trump’s "caressing language" about missiles. Instead, the senator criticized Trump for tipping his next move in Syria.
"He is, in effect, telegraphing—in a way that he said he never would and criticized other presidents for doing—what the military moves may be," Blumenthal replied.