Donald Trump is no stranger to misogynistic comments and controversial interviews. In a 2003 The Howard Stern Show interview, Donald Trump ignited a streak of criticism with comments about Paris Hilton, her attractiveness at the age of 12, and her leaked s*x tape. His remarks struck the masses as disturbing. Trump disclosed he’d known Hilton since she was only 12, and recalled noticing her appearance.
Although he stated he wasn’t interested in her at the time, his comments felt unwarranted, especially given the fact that he was talking about her when she was a minor. He went on to talk about her leaked s*x tape. His comments seemed to blur boundaries between family friendship and adult objectification, and that didn’t sit right with many.
Donald Trump’s disturbing remarks about Paris Hilton crossed boundaries
Donald Trump’s remarks about Paris Hilton on The Howard Stern Show in a resurfaced clip of a 2003 interview (via X), which has since been taken down, have drawn in a renewed wave of controversy, not for any illicit admission but for their sheer absurdity. Recalling being an acquaintance of the Hilton family, Trump stated:
I’ve known Paris Hilton from the time she’s 12. Her parents are friends of mine and the first time I saw her she walked into a room and I said, ‘Who the hell is that?’
To this, Howard Stern followed up with a highly inappropriate question, “Did you wanna bang her?”. His question set the stage for what many audiences found to be an extremely uncomfortable topic.
Trump did try to deflect s*xual intent by saying:
Well, at 12, I wasn’t interested. I’ve never been into that. They’ve sort of always stuck around that 25 category. [But] when I saw her at 12, she was beautiful.
In context, fact checkers have clarified he never talked about the then minor Hilton as “s*xually attractive”, yet the continued emphasis on her beauty, both by him and Stern, blurred many emotional boundaries, sparking public discourse about appropriateness.
It’s important to note that even talking about her in such a manner, especially under Stern’s provocative questioning, was like treading into disquieting territory despite his attempts at disclaimers.
Trump’s comments on Hilton are indicative of his opportunistic roots
Trump didn’t just stop at recalling his history with the Hilton family, but also went on to talk about Hilton’s infamous s*x tape, 1 Night in Paris. In the same Stern interview, when asked if he’d seen the tape, Trump candidly replied:
I think it’s probably unfortunate and it made Paris hotter in terms of the world because the world is so scr*wed up. I mean, you think a thing like that is going to destroy, like Hugh Grant who I love. I think he’s great. He’s a member of my golf club. You would have think he would have been destroyed by what happened to him and he’s the biggest star now than he ever was, so you never know what happens but I think it probably made Paris even better.
There is so much wrong with that comment, I don’t even know where to start. His choice of words reflects how he views every scandal as an opportunity to become famous, regardless of how it impacts the ones at the center of it all.
According to an Associated Press article, Trump was reportedly “not bothered” by Hilton’s s*x tape when he wanted her to host the Miss USA pageant in 2004 for high ratings.
His emphasis on turning the scandal that Hilton described as being “electronically r*ped” into an opportunity to draw in more viewership is reflective of his unabashedly opportunistic nature. His focus on public intrigue and beauty, rather than reflection on maturity and privacy, ignited discussions about how public figures should or shouldn’t speak about minors and their trauma in the public sphere.
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