Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty last week to 34 felony counts related to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels around the 2016 election.
Trump acknowledged during a Meet the Press appearance in 1999 that there was a “certain controversy” about his relationships with women, as Trump was considering whether to become a third-party presidential contender.
“I am single. And I do go out with women. And I do respect and adore women. And some women love me and probably some women don’t. But I am certainly controversial,” Trump told moderator Tim Russert.
Russert asked about Trump’s previous comments comparing his relationships with women to then-President Bill Clinton.
“I said there are those that say that, ‘If [Clinton] had a fling with a supermodel, he would be everyone’s hero.’ I didn’t say that I said it,” Trump said.
“Do you believe it?” Russert asked.
“It’s possible,” Trump said.
Trump has denied he slept with Daniels, but he admitted to signing off on repayments to his former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen.
In a statement of facts released separately from the indictment last week, prosecutors described Trump’s alleged “catch and kill scheme,” which included the $130,000 payment to Daniels.
The allegations also included a $150,000 payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed she had an affair with Trump, and a $30,000 payment to a doorman who was trying to sell information about a child that Trump allegedly fathered out of wedlock.