Republicans, Democrats Alike Condemn Trump's Comments
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/CBS News/AP) -- Just one day after Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump issued a video apology in response to a 2005 recording in which he is heard making lewd comments about women, GOP leaders, including Trump's running mate, continue to condemn his remarks.
On Saturday, Trump's vice presidential nominee, Mike Pence, released a statement about the scandal, reading, "as a husband and a father, I was offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump in the 11-year-old video released yesterday. I do not condone his remarks and I cannot defend them. I am grateful that he has expressed remorse and apologized to the American people."
"We pray for his family and look forward to the opportunity he has to show what is in his heart when he goes before the nation tomorrow night," he continued.
Despite backlash from party leaders, Trump said Saturday that he will not leave the presidential race.
He told the Wall Street Journal there was "zero chance I'll quit."
In a separate interview, he told the Washington Post, "I'd never withdraw. I've never withdrawn in my life. No, I'm not quitting this race. I have tremendous support."
"People are calling and saying, 'Don't even think about doing anything else but running," he continued. "You have to see what's going on. The real story is that people have no idea the support. I don't know how that's going to boil down but people have no idea the support."
Crowds of protesters and supporters gathered outside of Trump Tower, and Trump briefly stepped outside, waving and pumping his fists at his fans.
He also spent the day meeting with his advisers, including former New York mayor Rudi Giuliani and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
"He's in the race to win, and he's going to win," Giuliani said.
Giuliani went on to say the Republicans who withdrew their support, "largely didn't support him in the first place."
Trump's wife, Melania, released a statement Saturday, reading, "The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me. This does not represent the man that I know. He has the heart and mind of a leader. I hope people will accept his apology, as I have, and focus on the important issues facing our nation and the world. "
Sen. John McCain, R-A.Z., formally withdrew his support from Trump, releasing a statement, which read in part, "there are no excuses for Donald Trump's offensive and demeaning comments in the just released video; no woman should ever be victimized by this kind of inappropriate behavior. He alone bears the burden of his conduct and alone should suffer the consequences."
McCain said he "wanted to support the candidate our party nominated," but "Donald Trump's behavior this week, concluding with the disclosure of his demeaning comments about women and his boasts about sexual assaults, make it impossible to continue to offer even conditional support for his candidacy."
Vice President Joe Biden rebuked the remarks in a tweet.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., commented, saying, "that belief that you could do anything you want, you're important, you're famous, you can hit on women -- we just cannot elect a president of the United States who has that attitude."
New York Gov. Mayor Bill de Blasio also weighed in, saying in a statement, "In public, Donald Trump's a racist, misogynist and xenophobe. Now we know that in private he brags about sexually assaulting women. He has proven himself a danger to our country and a stain on our democratic process. We must never forget the hate and misogyny he's brought us – nor those who have refused to condemn it."
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., told CBS2's Scott Rapaport, "it's a real burden on him. He's going to have to explain tomorrow night why he said it, what he said and why this does not reflect his thinking today."
The video, obtained by the Washington Post, showed Trump talking with Billy Bush, then of "Access Hollywood," on a bus with the name of the entertainment television program scrawled across its side. The bus was rolling into a studio lot, where Trump was set to film cameos on the set of the "Days of Our Lives" soap opera program, CBS News reported.
The two were caught on a hot microphone discussing in lewd terms how Trump had attempted to "move on" an actress, who later made an appearance in the video.
"I moved on her and I failed. I'll admit it," Trump said on the bus.
"Whoa," said another voice, presumably belonging to Bush, now the co-host of NBC News' "Today Show."
"And I moved on her very heavily," Trump continues. "In fact, I took her out furniture shopping. She wanted to get some furniture. I said, 'I'll show you where they have some nice furniture.'"
"I did try and f*** her. She was married," he adds.
Then Trump says: "I moved on her like a b****, but I couldn't get there. And she was married...Then all of a sudden I see her, she's now got the big phony t*** and everything. She's totally changed her look."
As the bus rolled into the studio lot, Bush and Trump appear to see Arianne Zucker in a purple dress.
"Your girl's hot as s***, in the purple," Bush says of Zucker.
Trump can be heard exclaiming, "Whoa! Whoa!"
Then the businessman says this: "I've gotta use some tic tacs, just in case I start kissing her. 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," Trump says.
"And when you're a star they let you do it," he says. "You can do anything."
"Grab them by the p****," Trump says. "You can do anything."
The Republican presidential candidate issued a video statement late Friday night, apologizing and saying he was wrong in his words in a graphic recorded conversation from 2005 where he talks about grabbing, kissing, and trying to have sex with women.
"I've never said I'm a perfect person, nor pretended to be someone that I'm not. I've said and done things I regret, and the words release today on this more than a decade-old video are one of them. Anyone who knows me knows these words don't reflect who I am. I said it, I was wrong, and I apologize," Trump said in the statement.
Trump went on to say he has gained a new perspective about running for president.
"I've traveled the country talking about change for America, but my travels have also changed me. I've spent time with grieving mothers who've lost their children, laid-off workers whose jobs have gone to other countries, and people from all walks of life who just want a better future," Trump said. "I have gotten to know the great people of our country, and I have been humbled by the faith they placed in me. I pledge to be a better man tomorrow and will never, ever let you down."
Trump also called the controversy over the comments dating back 11 years a "distraction" – and attacked former President Bill Clinton and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton as having acted worse than he did in his remarks.
"Let's be honest – we're living in the real world. This is nothing more than a distraction from the real issues we are facing today. We are losing our jobs, we're less safe than we were eight years ago, and Washington is totally broken. Hillary Clinton and her kind have run our country into the ground. I've said some foolish things, but there's a big difference between the words and actions of other people," he said. "Bill Clinton has actually abused women, and Hillary has bullied, attacked, shamed, and intimidated his victims."
He said the issue would be discussed more in the coming days, and concluded by saying, "See you at the debate on Sunday."
Earlier, Trump issued a shorter statement that called the remarks "locker room banter" dating back many years and also mentioning former President Clinton by name.
"This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago," Trump said in a statement released Friday afternoon, shortly after the Washington Post published video of the conversation. "Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course - not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended."
Hillary Clinton's campaign tweeted about the comments Friday evening, saying Trump could not be allowed to become president.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine tweeted that the remarks made him "sick to his stomach."
Kaine also said Republican leaders who support Trump ought to be asked if they still do.
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said in a statement late Friday night he was "sickened" by Trump's lewd comments and called on him to show respect for women. Ryan, who has had a rocky relationship with Trump, said women are to be championed and revered.
Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has been critical of Trump in spite of his support for him, denounced the GOP nominee's comments and said he needed to apologize.
"These comments are repugnant, and unacceptable in any circumstance," McConnell said in a late-night statement Friday. "As the father of three daughters, I strongly believe that Trump needs to apologize directly to women and girls everywhere, and take full responsibility for the utter lack of respect for women shown in his comments on that tape."
Some GOP leaders have gone so far as to call for Trump to exit the presidential race.
Hillary Clinton has no public events scheduled while she prepares for Sunday's debate, but she has some political drama to contend with herself, CBS2's Magdalena Doris reports. On Friday, Wikileaks posted her hacked email correspondence with campaign chairman John Podesta outlining a switch in stance on big business.
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