LOS ANGELES — An attorney is defending Billy Bush’s part in a lewd 2005 exchange with Donald Trump.

Marshall Grossman told The Hollywood Reporter that Bush would have been fired from “Access Hollywood” if he’d been passive or told Trump to shut up.

Grossman noted Bush was an NBC Universal employee talking with NBC’s “The Apprentice” star.

Bush was suspended from NBC’s “Today” after the tape became public last week.