This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-elections/donald-trump-remarks-white-house-sexual-assault-trump-tapes-us-election-2016-a7356541.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| White House says 'repugnant' Trump video comments constitute sexual assault | White House says 'repugnant' Trump video comments constitute sexual assault |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said that there is wide agreement that Donald Trump's remarks in the 2005 leaked recordings "constitute sexual assault". | White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said that there is wide agreement that Donald Trump's remarks in the 2005 leaked recordings "constitute sexual assault". |
| Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Mr Earnest added that President Barack Obama considered the remarks describing Mr Trump groping and kissing women are "repugnant". | |
| Videos surfaced late last week that captured Mr Trump speaking to then-Access Hollywood host Billy Bush about making unsolicited advances on women. | |
| "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," Mr Trump can be heard saying in one portion of the video. "And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything… Grab ’em by the p***y." | |
| Amid the outcry, Mr Trump issued a public apology for the remarks – which he has repeatedly dismissed as "locker room talk". | |
| "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 released today on this more-than-a-decade-old video are one of them," he said in a video apology released via Twitter at 12.30 Saturday morning. "Anyone who knows me knows these words don't reflect who I am. I said it, I was wrong, and I apologise." | |
| The unearthed audio and later video confirmation sparked a massive exodus of Republicans, who distanced themselves from the controversial candidate. | |
| House Speaker Paul Ryan immediately rebuked Mr Trump for the remarks and disinvited him from a Wisconsin GOP campaign event. Vice presidential candidate Mike Pence issued a statement that said he was "offended", but later staunchly defended the Republican nominee. | |
| Mr Ryan launched a veritable war between Mr Trump and the Republican Party during a Monday conference call with GOP Congressmembers. He said that he would no longer campaign for nor defend Mr Trump, and instead wanted to focus his efforts on keeping the GOP-led Congress intact. | |
| “You all need to do what’s best for you in your district,” he told members of Congress on the call. | |
| Mr Trump fired back, calling Mr Ryan a "weak" and "inneffective" leader, calling into question the loyalty of Republicans in power. | |
| "It is so nice that the shackles have been taken off me and I can now fight for America the way I want to," he tweeted Tuesday morning. | |
| Mr Earnest said that he was not surprised that Mr Trump had sent the Republican Party into disarray. Explaining that they prioritised oppoisiton to Mr Obama over facts, Mr earnest said: "You reap what you sow." | Mr Earnest said that he was not surprised that Mr Trump had sent the Republican Party into disarray. Explaining that they prioritised oppoisiton to Mr Obama over facts, Mr earnest said: "You reap what you sow." |