Trump issues apology for vulgar comments about women

Updated

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump apologized in a video statement release on Facebook late Saturday, responding to an outcry over lewd comments he made about women that were caught on a "hot mic" in 2005 and released on Friday.

In his statement, he called the footage of his comments a "distraction" from bigger political issues.

"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. Anyone who knows me, know these words don't reflect who I am," Trump said in the new video.

The leaked 2005 video quickly sparked an outcry from a series of GOP leaders, including Paul Ryan.

"I'm automatically attracted to beautiful women — I just start kissing them, it's like a magnet," Trump is heard saying in a conversation with Billy Bush during the taping of an interview for Access Hollywood. "I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything... Grab 'em by the p****."

Trump was recently married to Melania Trump when the audio was recorded, and references her briefly during the leaked clip.

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