ADVERTISEMENT
The audience reaction was mixed â some startled, others uncertain how far the confrontation might go. What had begun as a discussion of inflation had become a test of temperament.
Mr. Letterman did not respond in kind. Instead, he paused, then indicated that if the conversation was turning toward personal matters and credibility, he wished to address what he described as âpublicly documented statementsâ made by Mr. Trump in the past.
From a folder he had brought to the stage, Mr. Letterman cited remarks Mr. Trump had made years earlier about his daughter, Ivanka Trump. The comments, which have circulated widely in media archives and interviews, included praise of her appearance and offhand jokes that critics have long called inappropriate. Mr. Trump has previously characterized such remarks as humor or casual banter.
ADVERTISEMENT
