Questions to ask

It's likely the video of Donald Trump talking in lewd and graphic terms about women will be a significant focus of the questioning at Sunday's debate and afterward. Here's what he should be asked:

1. Did he actually pursue a married woman?

"I took her out furniture shopping," he said. "She wanted to get some furniture. I said I'll show you where they have some nice furniture. … I moved on her like a ­b----, but I couldn't get there, and she was married."

This is a pretty detailed story for Trump to have made it up whole-cloth. Did Trump know the woman was married when he "moved on" her? Does or did he often do this?

2. Was he married to Melania Trump at the time?

Trump told the story at a time when he was married to Melania. They married in January 2005, and the video appears to have been shot around Sept. 16, 2005.

Trump also alludes in the video to Melania being "OK" with him kissing and hugging women when he greets them.

But was the story he tells about pursuing a woman about a time when he was married to Melania or dating her? The two married in 2005 but met in 1998.

Trump's history of infidelity is well-documented, and this invites questions about whether it continued.

3. How often does he talk like this?

Trump said in his apology that "anyone who knows me knows these words don't reflect who I am. I said it, I was wrong, and I apologize."

But the Associated Press recently reported employees of his NBC reality show, "The Apprentice," saying Trump often spoke in very similar terms during the production of that show.

The Trump campaign issued a full denial in response to the AP report.

But the behavior described in the AP report is very similar to the behavior on the newly unearthed video.

In his years as a reality TV boss, Trump repeatedly demeaned women with sexist language, according to show insiders who said he rated female contestants by the size of their breasts and talked about which ones he'd like to have sex with.

Washington Post