As part of a Donald Trump campaign counter-offensive to stop the bleeding after his poll numbers went into a death-spiral following the release of the Access Hollywood "p*ssy grabbing" video, Melania Trump was made available for tightly-scripted interviews with cable TV hosts Monday night.
While she hit most of her marks, her description of her husband boasting to a giggly Billy Bush about how he sexually assaults women as "boys talk" set Twitter on fire.
During her interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, the GOP candidate's wife was asked about Trump's comments, with Melania Trump complaining that Trump had been "egged on" by Bush, and that she had never heard him speak that way.
"I heard many different stuff -- boys talk," she told Cooper. "The boys, the way they talk when they grow up and they want to sometimes show each other, 'Oh, this and that' and talking about the girls. But yes, I was surprised, of course."
Those words set people off.
“Boy talk” from a 60-year-old man?— Michelangelo Signorile (@Michelangelo Signorile) 1476751372.0
In an interview with CNN, Melania Trump calls her husband's language "boy talk." It's like that old saying, "Boys will be sexual predators."— riding shotgun with santa (@riding shotgun with santa) 1476743930.0
Melania keeps saying "boy talk" like this slur wasn't damn near 60 when that tape aired. How long do white men get to be boys?— in charge of the girls (@in charge of the girls) 1476739568.0
Melania: "It was two teenage boys." Cooper: "He was 59."— Kyle Griffin (@Kyle Griffin) 1476749505.0
Anyone else watching this Melania CNN interview with Anderson Cooper and thinking "Boys Talk" https://t.co/IIofVF82aQ— Rebecca Welch (@Rebecca Welch) 1476752680.0
It's not "boy talk." That's insulting to boys. It's rape culture talk @MELANIATRUMP— Dr. Rebecca Martínez (@Dr. Rebecca Martínez) 1476752289.0
There's something so sad about a 46 yo woman describing her 70-year-old husband as a "boy" talking "boys talk." https://t.co/2O2VnwY6gf— Emily Nussbaum (@Emily Nussbaum) 1476745771.0
"That vas boy talk. He vas egg on by that billy boy to say bad stuff. Now please to give him ze nuclear veapons." #hardball— Mask Wearer for Truth (@Mask Wearer for Truth) 1476747768.0
Is it just locker room talk? Melania: It's like two teenage boys. Do you tell Mr. Trump to not tweet so much? Melania: He is an adult.— Sameera Khan (@Sameera Khan) 1476752828.0
