Donald Trump ‘defends’ convicted rapist Mike Tyson saying his imprisonment was a ‘travesty’
The Republican nominee said in radio interview it was the boxer who was the victim of unwanted sexual advances and not the other way round
AUDIO has been uncovered of Donald Trump defending convicted rapist Mike Tyson saying the verdict was a "travesty" saying it was the boxer who was the subject of 'groping' sexual advances from women.
In the interview, which was with US shock jock Howard Stern The GOP nominee can be heard saying it was "sad" the controversial fighter went to prison for the crime.
Tyson was convicted of rape in February 1992, and Trump vigourously defended him at the time saying he should be allowed to pay off victim Desiree Washington with money from his future boxing fights rather than serving jail time.
In the chat with Stern, which was in the same year, he says: "It's so sad because I've known Mike more or less from the beginning.
"He started off having his first fights at my place and he's had his biggest fights at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City. He was so incredible and the last few years he's just not been the same — number one he's not been the same fighter, he's not been the same man, he's not been the same anything."
He added: "The truth is he's been very loyal to me, he has most of his fights at my places.
"He does best at my places in terms of his best fights and he's been great and I just hate to see what's happened to him. It's a travesty, it's a travesty."
Trump went on to saw he never saw Tyson touch women inappropriately but did see the boxer get groped.
With a laugh he said: "I've seen women going around touching him.
"He walks in a room and the women start grabbing him and grabbing his ass and grabbing anything else they can grab on him."
The audio was uncovered by .
He then further bolstered his opinion Tyson was innocent of wrong doing in an interview with "NBC Nightly News" on Feb. 21, 1992, where he said Tyson was "railroaded in the case.
He went on to suggest the victim wasn't a victim.
Trump also spoke to "New York" magazine at the time saying Tyson said to him the victim "wanted it real bad."
The Republican nominee has been vocal about the support has got from the from the former fighter, who became the youngest heavyweight boxer in the world in 1986.
in Indiana this year he said: "Mike Tyson endorsed me.
"I love it. He sent out a tweet. Mike. Iron Mike. You know, all the tough guys endorse me. I like that, OK?"
Meanwhile in an interview on The on Fox News on Tuesday, he faced down questions regarding his tweet in the wake of losing the support of Representative of the House Paul Ryan, who he branded "weak."
When asked about his tweet, which read: "It is so nice that the shackles have been taken off me and I can now fight for America the way I want to," he said it was "to do with some of the establishment people who are weak and ineffective."
He added: "I’m just tired of nonsupport and I don’t really want his (Ryan's) support. This happens all the time – if you sneeze he calls up and announces isn’t that a terrible thing.
"So look, I don’t want his support, I don’t care about his support."
When asked if he thought he needed Ryan's support after the election if he won the race for the White House, he said: "I would think that Ryan maybe wouldn’t be there, maybe he’ll be in a different position."
Trump then went on to say he didn't think he was "outspoken."
The host then asked Trump how he was planning to win back women, after remarks surfaced on leaked tapes where he could be heard saying his fame enabled him to grope women.
The billionaire said women had approached him and said they had heard worse: I've had a lot of women come up to me and say 'well I've heard that and I've heard a lot worse."
He added regarding the tape: "If that is what it is going to take to lose an election then that would be pretty sad."
Trump then went on to make comments about fellow Republican John McCain saying: "He was desperate to get my endorsement...I feel badly I gave him my endorsement.
"He's never heard salty language before. John McCain who probably has the dirtiest mouth in all of the senate."
Trump appeared at a rally in Panama City on Tuesday night and did not address the lewd comments he had made on the tape back in 2o05.
Instead he addressed the suggestion he had entered Clinton's space at the TV debate and said: "This is a liar. So I'm standing at my podium. I've got my chair and crooked Hillary walks across the stage. I didn't move... She walks across the stage and she's standing right in front of me."
He added: "She entered my space."
Meanwhile on Tuesday President Obama hit out at Trump's remarks about women saying his lewd and sexually aggressive comments were "not right".
It was his first public statement since its release on Friday.
He said: "You don't have to be a husband or a father to hear what we heard just a few days ago and say, 'that's not right.' You just have to be a decent human being to say that's not right.
Obama was at a campaign event in North Carolina.
He added: "And if it makes you mad ... you can do something about it North Carolina!"
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