A Florida man who was arrested for allegedly groping a woman aboard a Southwest flight on Sunday told authorities that President Donald Trump said "it's OK to grab women by their private parts," according to an FBI affidavit.



Bruce Michael Alexander, 49, was charged with abusive sexual contact in Albuquerque federal court, according to the US Attorney’s Office in New Mexico. Once arrested, authorities said, Alexander invoked Trump's comments about grabbing women.

The comment likely refers to the 2005 Access Hollywood tape released just before the 2016 presidential election that captured then-candidate Trump on a hot mic making a series of lewd comments about women.

"You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful, I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything," Trump is heard saying on the tape.

"Grab them by the pussy," he adds. "You can do anything."

An attorney for Alexander told BuzzFeed News that the FBI agent misheard him, and the statement referencing Trump wasn't meant to be an admission of any guilt.

"It is unfortunate the FBI has attributed part of what the agent thought he heard Mr. Alexander say as some admission or excuse, when in reality, Mr. Alexander expressed 'disbelief' at the allegations and denied knowingly touching the woman in any sexual way when questioned by agents immediately after his arrest," attorney Monnica Barreras said in an email.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

