Donald Trump’s lascivious remarks about women recorded during a private tape conversation have Republicans lined up to give their presidential nominee a swift kick, including one senator who urged him to “drop out.”
In a conversation released Friday, Trump boasted about groping women,telling Billy Bush, the “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush in a conversation that was caught on a hot mic, “I’m automatically attracted to beautiful women — I just start kissing them, it’s like a magnet.”
“I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything,” he said. “Grab ’em by the p—y.”
After the lewd comments were revealed, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said, “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. In the meantime, he is no longer attending tomorrow’s event in Wisconsin.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also stood firm against his party’s nominee, saying in a statement: “These comments are repugnant and unacceptable in any circumstance. 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.”
Here are a few other comments from fellow Republicans:
As the grandfather of two precious girls, I find that no apology can excuse away Donald Trump's reprehensible comments degrading women.
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) October 7, 2016
Donald’s comments were vulgar, egregious & impossible to justify.
No one should ever talk about any woman in those terms, even in private.— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) October 8, 2016
These comments are disturbing and inappropriate, there is simply no excuse for them.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) October 8, 2016
Every wife, mother, daughter — every person — deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. https://t.co/AVSEBastVc
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) October 8, 2016
Make no mistake the comments were wrong and offensive. They are indefensible.
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) October 7, 2016
Hitting on married women? Condoning assault? Such vile degradations demean our wives and daughters and corrupt America's face to the world.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) October 8, 2016
.@realDonaldTrump should drop out. @GOP should engage rules for emergency replacement.
— Mark Kirk (@SenatorKirk) October 8, 2016
Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee issued a curt statement: “No woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner. Ever.”
At the time of printing, there was radio silence from Trump’s running mate Mike Pence, along with former 2016 presidential hopefuls, Chris Christie, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, Rick Santorum, Rand Paul and Mike Huckabee.