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UPDATED WITH VIDEO: “How do you feel about NBC firing you especially in light of Matt Lauer being fired for allegations of actual sexual impropriety,” Stephen Colbert asked Billy Bush on

_Late Show_. While Lauer was fired last week over an allegation of sexual misconduct and the belief there were more credible allegations coming, NBC famously sacked _Today_ co-host Bush for

giggling in the 2005 _Access Hollywood_ tape when Trump bragged about moving on Bush colleague Nancy O’Dell “like a bitch,” and giggled some more when Trump boasted about being so famous he

could grab women “by the p*ssy.” “Look, it was a difficult time, it was very hot emotionally in the country. A lot of people were not comfortable with the man who was close to winning the

election, and a lot of things happened quickly,” Bush vamped. A month later, he insisted his boss acknowledged “we may have moved a little quickly.” He did not elaborate and Colbert didn’t

ask. Colbert instead asked, “Did they move on you like a bitch?” stealing one of Trump’s lines from the tape. WATCH ON DEADLINE “Matt Lauer controlled that show,” Colbert persisted. “He

could have protected anybody; he did famously protect people from being fired on that show.” “Do you wish he would have protected you?” Colbert said, poking the wound. Bush told Colbert that

Lauer told him privately he “took the line” with Bush’s boss – to no avail, apparently. Bush says he believed Lauer and thanked him for the effort. When the _Washington Post_ made public

the_ Access Hollywood_ videotape, because NBC News did not, Bush had expected to be given the chance to apologize to _Today_ viewers. Instead, NBC News suspended Bush, then gave him the

hook. “I would have liked chance to have been able to address the audience. But it was right after the debate, and the tape made it in time for the debate,” Bush explained. Colbert and Bush

never settled why Trump had “stuck his finger in the door hinge” when he started telling people privately, including at least one member of the U.S. Senate, that he does not think the voice

on the _Access Hollywood_ tape is his. “It’s the dumbest thing he could have done. He’s a dumb, dumb person,” Colbert said.