Republican Leaders Are Slamming Trump For His Lewd Comments On Women
Leaders of Trump’s own party called his comments “vile degradation's” and inexcusable. And multiple Republicans are calling on him to drop out of the race.
Evan Vucci / AP
Donald Trump’s presidential campaign faced perhaps its biggest crisis so far on Friday after the Washington Post published a video in which he talked about trying to have sex with a married woman.
“I did try and fuck her. She was married,” Trump said in the video, adding later that when you’re a star, you can “do anything” to women, including “grab them by the pussy.”
The conversation was recorded in 2005 while Trump was preparing to film a cameo on a soap opera.
The video earned Trump some of the harshest criticism yet, with numerous high-profile political leaders, including many from his own party, calling the comments unforgivable.
House Speaker Paul Ryan said he was “sickened” by Trump’s comments, and dis-invited Trump to campaign in Wisconsin this weekend.
Cliff Owen / AP
In a statement Friday evening, Ryan said he was “sickened by what I heard today.”
“Women are to be championed and revered, not objectified,” he said. “I hope Mr. Turmp 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.”
Ryan and Trump were scheduled to campaign together for the first time on Saturday in Wisconsin, but Ryan said in the statement that Trump will no longer be attending the event.
Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney called the comments “vile degradations.”
Romney has been one of Trump’s highest-profile critics this election season, but his response to Trump’s hot mic conversation ranks as some of his harshest criticism yet.
Arizona Sen. John McCain, who was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, said there were “no excuses” for Trump’s comments.
Susan Walsh / AP
In a statement, McCain said “there are no excuses for Donald Trump’s offensive and demeaning comments.”
“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.”
Gov. Gary Herbert of Utah announced Friday night that in light of the comments he would no longer vote for Trump.
Herbert, who leads one of the most deeply red states in the US, had previously said he would vote for Trump. However, Friday he called Trump’s comments “offensive and despicable.”Herbert’s reversal and criticism — along with similar remarks from other leaders with Utah ties like Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman, Jr. — likely exacerbate what Trump himself has described as a “tremendous problem” in the Beehive State.
Jason Chaffetz, a congressman from Utah, also revoked his support for Trump Friday night, saying “I’m out. I’m pulling my endorsement.”
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
In an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune, Chaffetz — a prominent Republican in the House — continued, saying “I can not support in any way, shape or form the comments or approach Donald Trump has taken.”
“This is so over the top, it is not even acceptable in locker rooms,” Chaffetz said. “It shouldn’t be acceptable anywhere. We are talking about the president of the United States. I want someone of high moral values.”
Chaffetz later said on CNN that he has a 15-year-old daughter and he cannot “look her in the eye and tell her I endorsed Donald Trump for president when he acts like this.” He added that Trump’s comments were “not just locker room talk. This is offensive and it was absolutely and totally wrong.”
“I think we should all stand up and say we’re not going to tolerate this,” he continued.
Chaffetz and Herbert — both Mormons from a deeply red state — were the first, high level Republicans to publicly pull support from their own party’s candidate.
Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s former rival in the Republican primaries, called the comments “vulgar, egregious, and impossible to justify.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, who also challenged Trump for their party’s nomination before endorsing him last month, called Trump’s comments “disturbing and inappropriate,” adding “there is simply no excuse for them.”
Twitter / Via Twitter: @tedcruz
Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida and another 2016 Republican presidential contender, tweeted that “no apology can excuse away Donald Trump’s reprehensible comments degrading women.”
Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican Party, said in a statement that “no woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner. Ever.”
Mpi10 / mpi10/MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx
Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, called Trump’s comments “repugnant” in a statement.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
“These comments are repugnant, and unacceptable in any circumstance,” McConnell said. “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.”
Sen. Mike Lee of Utah said Trump should “step aside. Step down. Let someone else carry the banner of these principles.”
In an impassioned video posted on Facebook early Saturday, Lee called Trump a “distraction.”
Lee had long been a holdout against Trump and in June ticked off a long list of issues he had with the candidate. Lee also shot down the prospect that he could be one of Trump’s Supreme Court nominees.
Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk called on Trump to drop out of the race.
.@realDonaldTrump should drop out. @GOP should engage rules for emergency replacement.
Jon Huntsman, Jr., the former governor of Utah and a presidential contender in 2012, also called on Trump to drop out.
Al Hartmann / AP
Huntsman told the Salt Lake Tribune that Trump should let his running mate, Mike Pence, become the Republican presidential nominee.
“In a campaign cycle that has been nothing but a race to the bottom — at such a critical moment for our nation — and with so many who have tried to be respectful of a record primary vote, the time has come for Governor Pence to lead the ticket,” Huntsman said.
Just last week, Huntsman had said he planned to vote for Trump despite disagreeing with him on a “range of issues.”
Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake said “America deserves far better” than Trump.
America deserves far better than @realDonaldTrump
Sen. Kelly Ayotte said Trump’s “comments are totally inappropriate and offensive.”
Jim Cole / AP
Ayotte had previously called Trump a role model before walking that comment back this week.
Sen. Orrin Hatch called the comments “offensive and disgusting” and said “there is no excuse for such degrading behavior.”
Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman called on Trump to step aside Friday night “for the good of the country.”
Brennan Linsley / AP
In a statement distributed to multiple media outlets, Coffman said that “for the good of the country and to give the Republicans a chance of defeating Hillary Clinton, Mr. Trump should step aside.”
“His defeat at this point seems almost certain and four years of Hillary Clinton is not what is best for this country,” the statement continued. “Mr. Trump should put the country first and do the right thing.”
Coffman has a history of resisting Trump, for example saying in an August ad that “I don’t care for him much.”
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