Melania Trump on Monday rose to Donald Trump’s defense after several allegations of sexual assault were made against him, and a videotape was leaked in which he boasted about groping women. Melania in an interview to CNN called his comments in the video “boy talk”, and claimed he had been “egged on” in his conversation with Access Hollywood host Billy Bush. “And as you can see from the tape, the cameras were not on – it was only a mic. And I wonder if they even knew that the mic was on,” she said. NBC has said Bush will no longer be on the Today show, following the leaked tape.

The United States Republican presidential candidate’s wife said she was “surprised” because she had never heard Trump use that language before, but added that he sometimes behaved like an “overgrown boy”. “Sometimes I say I have two boys at home. I have my young son and I have my husband. But I know how some men talk, and that's how I saw it, yes,” she said. She had earlier stated that Trump's language was inappropriate and unacceptable.

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With regard to the complaints of sexual harassment made against the businessman and politician, Melania Trump said that she firmly believes her husband and that the allegations made against him were false. “I know he respects women. But he's defending himself because they’re lies,” she said. She said she agreed with First Lady Michelle Obama’s recent remarks about the importance of consent, but added, “Every assault should be taken care of in a court of law. And to accuse, no matter who it is, a man or a woman, without evidence is damaging and unfair”.

“But my husband is real. He’s raw. He tells it like it is. He's kind. He's a gentleman. He supports everybody. He supports women. He encourages them to go to the highest level, to achieve their dreams. He employs many, many women,” she said. Trump went on to say that her husband’s comments on the Access Hollywood tape did not amount to sexual assault, and added that she had also seen many women making advances on Donald Trump.

The US election is on November 8.

The Access Hollywood video can be viewed here.