Donald Trump apologized Friday night for his boasting about groping women, but dismissed a newly released 2005 recording of his vulgar remarks as “nothing more than a distraction.”
“Anyone who knows me knows these words don’t reflect who I am,” said Trump, whose frequent derogatory comments about women have proved a major liability. “I said it, I was wrong, and I apologize.”
In the videotaped statement posted on his Facebook page, Trump also tried to minimize the significance of the lewd remarks that included a statement that he could grab women by the crotch because he was a “star.”
“Let’s be honest – we’re living in the real world,” Trump said. “This is nothing more than a distraction from the important issues we’re facing today.”
Trump’s statement came hours after the Washington Post’s release of the 2005 recording threw the Republican Party into disarray, with GOP leaders roundly condemning their own presidential nominee.
Coming two days before a crucial presidential debate in St. Louis, the extraordinary spectacle threatened to doom Trump’s prospects in the Nov. 8 election.
“These comments are repugnant, and unacceptable in any circumstance,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who bemoaned Trump’s “utter lack of respect for women shown in his comments on that tape.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan had planned to campaign with Trump in his Wisconsin congressional district on Saturday, but announced Trump would no longer be attending.
"I am sickened by what I heard today," Ryan said in a statement. "Women are to be championed and revered, not objectified. I hope Mr. Trump treats this situation with the seriousness it deserves and works to demonstrate to the country that he has greater respect for women than this clip suggests.”
Trump said he would spend Saturday preparing for the debate with top advisors, including Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus. He, too, denounced Trump.
“No woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner. Ever,” Priebus said.
Updated 9:54 p.m. This post was revised with new details.
