Former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson on Tuesday stunned a CNN anchor with a defense of Donald Trump's lewd 2005 comments toward women which were captured on a recently leaked tape.
In the recording, Trump was heard boasting about his sexual exploits with women. He said he was able to "grab" women "by the p---y" because "when you're a star they let you do it."
Carson excused the vulgar comments as normal banter between men, during an exchange with host Brianna Keilar.
.@RealBenCarson is "surprised" @brikeilarcnn has never heard the kind of "locker room talk" in leaked Trump tape https://t.co/LtWdqxQcaI
- CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) October 11, 2016
"That kind of banter goes around all the time," Carson said. "Is it the right kind of thing to do? Absolutely not. Is it something that I've ever done? Absolutely not."
"So you've heard people talk like this?" a visibly stunned Keilar asked.
"I've heard people talking like that. Of course. Are you kidding me?" Carson replied.
The CNN host asked Carson where he was "hanging out that you hear people talking like that."
"As I was growing up, people were always trying to talk about their sexual conquests and trying to make themselves appear like Casanova," Carson said. "I'm surprised you haven't heard that. I really am."
"I haven't heard it and I know a lot of people who have not heard it," Keilar quipped.
"Maybe that's the problem," Carson said. "Maybe that's the problem."