White House principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah allegedly described President Trump as a “deplorable” following the release in 2016 of the of the now-infamous “Access Hollywood” tape that features Trump bragging about grabbing women by their genitalia without their consent, according to a new report.
In an email to senior Republican National Committee researcher Andrew Hemming, Shah wrote, “u wanna hear something a little fucked up?” Hemming said, “Sure.”
“I’m kinda enjoying this, some justice,” Shah said, according to New York magazine. “I honestly don’t think it’s the worst thing he’s done but he somehow got passes for the other acts.”
“Trump is a deplorable,” he added.
The tape first emerged just before the 2016 election, and at the time, Trump admitted it was him and apologized for the remarks, which he described as “locker-room talk.” Late last year, it was reported that Trump was telling people that the tape could have been doctored.
Trump has denied the sexual misconduct allegations levied against him by more than a dozen women.
The recent report also claims Shah reached out to Hemming to see if he could find a video clip of Trump from 2008 praising then-President-elect Barack Obama and saying Hillary Clinton’s appointment to secretary of state was “a great appointment.”
Hemming provided Shah the clip and the footage was included in a Jeb Bush campaign ad days later.
Shah worked for the RNC in 2012, but left the next year and started working for America Rising LLC. Some from America Rising LLC went on to join the Bush campaign. Shah started working for the RNC again in 2015.
In response, White House communications director Hope Hicks told New York the information was previously known by White House officials.
“Raj Shah is a talented operative and skilled communicator. We have always known about his previous roles and are so pleased he is using his unparalleled capabilities to advance the agenda of President Trump, whom he has tremendous respect for,” she said in a statement to the publication.
“Perhaps if the leakers trying to undermine him were as talented and smart as Raj, they would be here fighting for the American people every day, rather than trying desperately to remain relevant by spreading information that Raj himself shared many months ago. Raj’s skills as a press secretary are only surpassed by his stellar character.”
