Carl Icahn contended Monday that Donald Trump's comments about women should not disqualify him from the presidency because he has sound ideas on economic and fiscal issues.
Icahn suggested that criticizing Trump for a leaked 2005 video that shows him boasting about groping women without consent is "kind of absurd" as "90 percent of guys" make similar comments in locker rooms or at bachelor parties.
"I'm not here to say he's running the campaign the way I would run it," he told Scott Wapner on CNBC's "Fast Money: Halftime Report." "I think obviously a lot of people have said it and I've said it to him he should stick to the issues and stick to them and stick to them. And the issues he has are really good."
Icahn has not pulled his support from Trump following the video's release, and Trump and his campaign surrogates have defended his remarks as "locker room talk." Numerous athletes like NBA star LeBron James have said they do not hear such remarks in their locker rooms.
In a followup question about Trump's treatment of women, Icahn said he wanted to "make clear that I'm not defending" those types of comments. But he claimed that most male members of Congress make similar comments.
After Wapner said "I haven't heard that kind of stuff" in locker rooms, Icahn countered that he likely had heard similar language at bachelor parties. Wapner again said he had not heard that type of language at bachelor parties.
Since the tape's release, several women have accused Trump of groping or kissing them without consent years ago. Trump has vehemently denied the allegations.