Donald Trump says there’s ‘zero chance’ he’ll quit in wake of lewd comments about women
MELANIA Trump has blasted ‘unacceptable’ comments her husband made about women as senior Republican figure, Senator John McCain, pulls support from the brash billionaire.
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MELANIA Trump has blasted ‘unacceptable’ comments her husband made about women as senior Republican figure, Senator John McCain, pulls support from the brash billionaire.
CNN has also released newly uncovered audio showing Donald Trump making vulgar remarks about women over a 17 year period with radio shock jock Howard Stern.
Among the topics Trump discussed: his daughter Ivanka’s physique, having sex with women on their menstrual cycles, threesomes, and checking out of a relationship with women after they turn 35.
This latest audio comes as Senator John McCain, who was the Republican Party’s 2008 presidential nominee, formally withdrew his support for Donald Trump over lewd remarks that threw his White House campaign into disarray.
“I have wanted to support the candidate our party nominated. He was not my choice, but as a past nominee, I thought it important I respect the fact that Donald Trump won a majority of the delegates by the rules our party set. I thought I owed his supporters that deference,” read a statement from McCain, the latest in a growing number of Republicans to withdraw support for Trump.
“But Donald Trump’s behaviour 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.
“Cindy and I will not vote for Donald Trump,” he added, referring to his wife. “I have never voted for a Democratic presidential candidate and we will not vote for Hillary Clinton. We will write in the name of some good conservative Republican who is qualified to be president.”
TV personality saddened by the remarks made about her
Entertainment Tonight host Nancy O’Dell says she is “saddened” that Donald Trump’s comments about her in a leaked audio recording “exist in our society at all”.
Trump was speaking about O’Dell in 2005 video with Billy Bush.
“Politics aside, I’m saddened that these comments still exist in our society at all. When I heard the comments yesterday, it was disappointing to hear such objectification of women,” she said in a statement released by Entertainment Tonight.
“The conversation needs to change because no female, no person, should be the subject of such crass comments, whether or not cameras are rolling.
“Everyone deserves respect no matter the setting or gender. As a woman who has worked very hard to establish her career, and as a mom, I feel I must speak out with the hope that as a society we will always strive to be better.”
O’Dell was co-anchor on Access Hollywood in 2005 when Trump made the comments. In the leaked recording, Trump is heard talking to Access Hollywood co-anchor Billy Bush about his attempts to seduce O’Dell, but being spurned because she was married.
Melania blasts Trump but still stands by her man
Trump’s wife has blasted the lewd remarks he made about groping women shortly after he married her in 2005 as “unacceptable and offensive,” but urged the public to accept his apology.
“The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me. This does not represent the man that I know,” Melania Trump said in a statement.
“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.”
Trump made the comments while married to her and while she was pregnant with their first child together.
Trump vows to fight on
Her comments come as Trump has vowed not to drop out of the US presidential race, after the vulgar comments he made about women were made public.
The Republican presidential nominee told The Wall Street Journal there is “zero chance I’ll quit.”
“I’d never withdraw. I’ve never withdrawn in my life,” he said.
Trump claimed that he has been getting “tremendous support” following the leak of the controversial comments.
Certainly has been an interesting 24 hours!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2016
After posting a midnight “apology” video, Trump posted a tweet that can only be described as a drastic understatement of the controversy that has consumed his presidential campaign.
“Certainly has been an interesting 24 hours!” Trump tweeted.
Trump also used the video as a forum to attack the Clintons, accusing the former president of “abusing women” as he apologised over a leaked recording exposing his own lewd comments about women.
Trump apologised for the remarks but spent little time grovelling, instead using the opportunity to attack his opposition.
“I said it, I was wrong, and I apologise,” Trump told CNN News on Saturday.
“I have travelled the country talking about change for Americans, but my travels have also changed me. I have spent time with grieving mothers who have 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,” he said.
“I pledged to be a better man tomorrow and will never, ever let you down.
“Let’s be honest, we’re living in the real world. This is nothing but a distraction from the important issues we’re facing today.
“Hillary Clinton and her kind have run out country into the ground. I said some foolish things but there is a big difference between the words and actions of other people.
“Bill Clinton has actually abused women and Hillary has bullied, attacked, shamed and intimidated her victims.
“We will discuss this more in the coming days. See you at the debate on Sunday.”
Mike Pence ‘offended’ by remarks, House Speaker ‘sickened’
Running mate Mike Pence had this to say.
“As a husband and father, I was offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump in the eleven-year-old video released yesterday,” he said.
“I do not condone his remarks and cannot defend them. I am grateful that he has expressed remorse and apologised 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 the goes before the nation tomorrow night,” he said in a statement.
He also canceled plans to represent him at a political event on Saturday.
House speaker Paul Ryan, who said he was “sickened” by the remarks, was due to campaign with Mr Trump for the first time tomorrow just days before the crucial second debate, putting long-held tensions behind them.
But following the audio’s release Mr Ryan issued a statement saying “I am sickened by what I heard today”.
“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”.
Jon Huntsman called for the candidate to step aside and let Gov. Pence take his place.
Mr Ryan’s spokesman and several others who criticised Trump’s comments sidestepped the question of whether he should stay in the race.
Donald Trump's statements are beyond offensive & despicable. While I cannot vote for Hillary Clinton, I will not vote for Trump. #utpol
— Gary R. Herbert (@HerbertForUtah) October 8, 2016
Trump’s lewd remarks
The 2005 recording features audio of Mr Trump talking in a crass fashion with an Access Hollywood television host about his penchant for beautiful women, in which he brags that when you’re a “star” you can “do anything”.
The Clinton campaign seized on the recording labelling it “horrific”, while Mr Trump described it in a statement as “locker room banter”.
The recording, obtained and published by The Washington Post, begins with Mr Trump detailing to Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush how he tried but failed to have sex with a married woman.
The recording took place inside a bus as Mr Trump arrived on the set of a Days of Our Lives taping, The Washington Post said.
“I moved on her and I failed. I’ll admit it,” Mr Trump said.
“I did try and f--- her. She was married.”
Mr Trump explained how he tried to “heavily” court the woman by taking her furniture shopping.
“And I moved on her very heavily … I took her out furniture shopping. She wanted to get some furniture — I said, “I’ll show you where they have some nice furniture,” he said.
“I moved on her like a b---h but I couldn’t get there. And she was married.”
He then went on to detail the woman’s appearance.
“Then all of a sudden I see her, she’s now got the big phony tits and everything. She’s totally changed her look,” he said.
Bush and Trump then start talking about a woman in their line of sight — believed to be Days of Our Lives star Arianne Zucker, an actress.
“I’ve gotta use some Tic Tac’s just in case I start kissing her,” Mr Trump said.
“You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful women … I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait.”
He boasted that when you’re a “star” you can get away with it.
“And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything … grab them by the p---y. You can do anything!”
The Trump campaign issued a statement from Mr Trump, apologising “if anyone was offended”.
“This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course — not even close. I apologise if anyone was offended.”
Originally published as Donald Trump says there’s ‘zero chance’ he’ll quit in wake of lewd comments about women
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