Question: Write an article based on this summary:

– Donald Trump's campaign is on damage control after one of the most damaging leaks in election history—but some commentators aren't sure if he'll be able to recover at all from the release of a 2005 "hot mic" tape in which he makes some very crude comments about women. The candidate is facing an almost unprecedented backlash from his own party, with some leading Republicans calling for him to step down as the nominee. A round-up of coverage: House Speaker Paul Ryan is one of scores of leading Republicans now trying to distance themselves from Trump, the Washington Post reports. He released a statement saying he is "sickened" by the comments—and Trump is no longer invited to a Wisconsin campaign event he was supposed to attend Saturday. CNN looks at how the old Access Hollywood tape made its way to the media at a very unfortunate time for Trump. Sources say a producer remembered the tape early in the week and, after digging it up mid-week, the show planned to air it Monday—but a copy made its way to the Washington Post first. CBS reports that Mike Pence has been refusing to answer reporters' questions about the tape. Reporters accompanying Pence were suddenly ushered out of a restaurant when the tape became public Friday. At a rally in Ohio that evening, Pence said that Trump emerges "still standing stronger than ever before" whenever he is targeted by the media. Republican fundraising chief Spencer Zwick tells the AP that he has been getting phone calls from donors who "want help putting money together to fund a new person to be the GOP nominee." He says a write-in campaign "could actually work," although some states don't allow write-in candidates. The Los Angeles Times reports that even Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who leads a pro-Trump super PAC and had his hands full dealing with Hurricane Matthew, found the time to denounce Trump's comments. "I'm not following politics closely right now, but this is terrible," he said. "I don't agree with anyone talking like this about anyone, ever." The New York Times takes a look at what it calls "the apology that wasn't." Sources say Trump huddled with advisers, including daughter Ivanka, before issuing the brief—and defiant apology—late Friday. The insiders say aides urged Trump not to mention the Clintons in the apology, but their advice was ignored. NBC News has statements from many of the Republicans who have condemned the remarks, including RNC chief Reince Priebus. "It's over," a GOP strategist and Trump supporter tells the network. "Never seen anything like it. Never will." People reports that Billy Bush, the co-host heard making lewd comments along with Trump, says he is "embarrassed and ashamed and is sorry for "playing along" with Trump. Trump tells the Washington Post he's staying in the race. “I’d never withdraw. I’ve never withdrawn in my life,” he says, citing "tremendous support."
Answer: In the wake of a new Washington Post report showing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaking in very lewd terms about women in 2005, some Republicans are calling for Trump to step down as nominee. (Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post) 
  
 In the wake of a new Washington Post report showing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaking in very lewd terms about women in 2005, some Republicans are calling for Trump to step down as nominee. (Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post) 
  
 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said in an interview Saturday that he would not drop out of the race under any circumstances, following calls from several prominent members of his party to do so. 
  
 “I’d never withdraw. I’ve never withdrawn in my life,” Trump told The Washington Post in a phone call from his home in Trump Tower in New York. “No, I’m not quitting this race. I have tremendous support.” 
  
 “People are calling and saying, ‘Don’t even think about doing anything else but running,” Trump said when asked about Republican defections. “You have to see what’s going on. The real story is that people have no idea about the support. I don’t know how that’s going to boil down, but people have no idea about the support. 
  
 “Running against her,” Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, makes keeping the party behind him easier, Trump added. 
  
 “It’s because she’s so bad. She’s so flawed as a candidate. Running against her, I can’t say it’d be the same if I ran against someone else, but running against her makes it a lot easier, that’s for sure,” he said. 
  
 In this video from 2005, Donald Trump prepares for an appearance on "Days of Our Lives" with actress Arianne Zucker. He is accompanied to the set by "Access Hollywood" host Billy Bush. The Post has edited this video for length. (Obtained by The Washington Post) 
  
 Trump’s comments came less than 24 hours after The Post published a video Friday where Trump bragged in vulgar terms about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women during a 2005 conversation caught on a hot microphone. 
  
 [Trump offers brief, defiant apology for lewd remarks] 
  
 Trump acknowledged that the video has consumed the presidential race — “it certainly has” — but he said he has endured past controversies, not only during his 2016 bid but during his career. 
  
 “I’ve been here before, I’ll tell ya, in life,” Trump said. “I understand life and how you make it through. You go through things. I’ve been through many. It’s called life. And it’s always interesting.” 
  
 Trump said “thousands and thousands” of backers have sent him letters and emails since The Post’s story was published. “You have no idea what it’s like,” he said. “So many people.” 
  
 Trump pointed to his disparagement of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) during the early months of last year’s Republican primary campaign as an example of how he has weathered political storms. 
  
 “Everyone said, ‘It’s over, it’s over.’ The people didn’t say that, but the reporters said that,” Trump said. When asked to explain his ability in the past to survive, Trump said it’s because “I’m change.” 
  
 1 of 28 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × Here are some of the Republicans who cut ties with Trump after lewd remarks View Photos These Republicans cut ties with Trump after lewd remarks: Following a Friday report by The Washington Post on a 2005 video of the GOP presidential nominee, various Republicans have said they no longer plan to vote for him. Caption Following a Friday report by The Washington Post on a 2005 video of the GOP presidential nominee, various Republicans have said they no longer plan to vote for him and some call for him to drop out. Sen. John McCain Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) joined the cavalcade of Republicans withdrawing their support for Trump. “There are no excuses for Donald Trump’s offensive and demeaning comments in the just released video; 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,” McCain said in a statement. Susan Walsh/AP Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. 
  
 [There’s no longer any way for the GOP to boot Trump from the ballot] 
  
 Reflecting on his state of mind as he watched news coverage from his apartment, Trump said: “I’m holding up well. I’m holding up well.” 
  
 Of Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who retracted his support for Trump on Friday, Trump said that as a Republican, Chaffetz should be going after Clinton rather than criticizing him. 
  
 “Chaffetz should spend the same energy going after Hillary Clinton as he does going after the person that won the primary with a record vote,” Trump said. “It’s all talk. All talk and nothing happens when he goes after Clinton.” 
  
 [When was America Great? It depends on who you are.] 
  
 Trump said he met with his advisers and family Friday night at Trump Tower and agreed to record a video response. He said there were “many opinions” expressed by those around him, but he declined to share details about those discussions. But he said that his position, throughout the evening, was to stay in the race and remain as upbeat as possible before Sunday’s presidential debate in St. Louis. 
  
 “They’re not going to make me quit, and they can’t make me quit,” Trump said of associates and party leaders who have urged him to step aside. “The Republicans, you’ve got to remember, have been running for a long time. The reason they don’t win is because they don’t stick together.” 
  
 Trump said he may make a speech or remarks on Saturday evening, perhaps in a suburb of New York City, as a way of encouraging his supporters. 
  
 “That’s what I’m thinking about,” he said. “We’ll see.” 
  
 Trump insisted, again, that any possible speech would not be a departure from the race. 
  
 “Forget that,” Trump said dismissively of the suggestion. “That’s not my deal.” 
  
 Asked for a final time, Trump said: “Zero chance. I’ve never quit in my life. . . . I can give you my word that I’m never leaving.” ||||| Billy Bush has apologized for his conversation with Donald Trump in 2005 in which the pair made lewd comments about women. 
  
 “Obviously I’m embarrassed and ashamed,” Bush says in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. “It’s no excuse, but this happened eleven years ago – I was younger, less mature, and acted foolishly in playing along. I’m very sorry.” 
  
 A video of the conversation published by The Washington Post on Friday contained inappropriate comments from Trump about groping and trying to have sex with women that was caught on a hot microphone. 
  
 The conversation took place as Trump and Bush were on board an Access Hollywood bus, arriving on the set of Days of Our Lives to tape a segment about a cameo Trump was filming for the soap opera at the time. 
  
 Access Hollywood addressed the footage on Friday, with host Natalie Morales claiming that it was Entertainment Tonight co-host Nancy O’Dell who Trump was talking about. 
  
 On the tape, Trump can be heard describing a failed attempt to have sex with an unnamed woman. It is unclear when the incident took place, but the tape was recorded several months after Trump married his third wife, Melania, in January 2005, the Post reported. 
  
 “I moved on her and I failed. I’ll admit it,” said Trump, who is now the Republican nominee for president. “I did try and f–k her. She was married.” 
  
 “Whoa,” a voice, apparently Bush’s, can be heard saying. 
  
 Bush, a married father of three girls, is currently a co-host of the third hour of The Today Show. Later on Friday a petition was made calling for NBC to fire Bush for his comments. 
  
  
  
 Trump continued in the video: “And I moved on her very heavily, … In fact, I took her out furniture shopping. She wanted to get some furniture. I said, ‘I’ll show you where they have some nice furniture.’” 
  
 “I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married. Then all of a sudden I see her, she’s now got the big phony t–s and everything. She’s totally changed her look.” 
  
 Trump and Bush went on to make vulgar comments about Arianne Zucker, an actress who was waiting nearby to bring them onto the Days of Our Lives set. 
  
 “Your girl’s hot as s—, in the purple,” Bush told Trump, who replied, “Whoa! Whoa!” 
  
 “I’ve gotta use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her,” Trump said. “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.” 
  
 “And when you’re a star they let you do it,” Trump said. “You can do anything.” 
  
 “Grab them by the p—y,” he added. “You can do anything.” 
  
 Later, after the two men exited the bus and met Zucker, Bush said: “How about a little hug for the Donald? He just got off the bus.” 
  
 “Would you like a little hug, darling?” Zucker said. 
  
 “Absolutely,” Trump replied. As they hugged and air-kissed, Trump said, “Melania said this was okay.” ||||| Trump tells Bush and other men on the bus that he tried to seduce a married woman. "I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn't get there," he says. "Then all of a sudden I see her, she's now got the big phony tits and everything. She's totally changed her looks." ||||| New York police and security stand outside Trump Tower on, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, in New York. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump blurted out lewd and sexually charged comments about women... (Associated Press) 
  
 New York police and security stand outside Trump Tower on, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, in New York. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump blurted out lewd and sexually charged comments about women as he waited to make a cameo appearance on a soap opera in 2005, a revelation that led him to issue... (Associated Press) 
  
 New York police and security stand outside Trump Tower on, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, in New York. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump blurted out lewd and sexually charged comments about women as he waited to make a cameo appearance on a soap opera in 2005, a revelation that led him to issue... (Associated Press) New York police and security stand outside Trump Tower on, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, in New York. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump blurted out lewd and sexually charged comments about women... (Associated Press) 
  
 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the presidential campaign a day before the second presidential debate between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump (all times EDT): 
  
 10:20 a.m. 
  
 Republican fundraising chief Spencer Zwick says he's been fielding calls from donors who "want help putting money together to fund a new person to be the GOP nominee." 
  
 Zwick leads fundraising efforts for House Speaker Paul Ryan, and he did the same for Mitt Romney in 2012. He tells The Associated Press that a write-in campaign relying on social media could "actually work." 
  
 There's never been a winning write-in campaign in a U.S. presidential contest. Many states do not allow write-in candidates for president, while others require them to register. Early voting is also already underway in several states. 
  
 Zwick did not identify which "new person" might be the focus of a write-in campaign. He was briefly supportive of a third run for Romney last year. 
  
 ___ 
  
 9:34 a.m. 
  
 The leaders of a pair of advocacy groups are equating Donald Trump's vulgar comments about women — caught on tape — with sexual assault. 
  
 Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Cecile Richards says in a statement that having a presidential candidate engage in such behavior is "an excuse for harassment from others." 
  
 And here's what NOW President Terry O'Neill says: "Someone with such disrespect for women, with such a misogynistic lifestyle who boasts about using his power to sexually assault women cannot — and will not — be the leader of this country." 
  
 Trump early Saturday apologized for the 2005 comments. But he also dismissed the revelations as "nothing more than a distraction" from race against Democrat Hillary Clinton. 
  
 ___ 
  
 9 a.m. 
  
 Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse (sas) is joining the list of Republicans calling on Donald Trump to abandon his presidential bid. 
  
 Sasse says in a tweet that "character matters" and Trump "is obviously not going to win." 
  
 Sasse says Trump "can still make an honorable move" by stepping aside and letting his running mate — Mike Pence — have a try. 
  
 Sasse has been a vocal critic of Trump for months. He joins a handful of Republican officials who have called on Trump quit — including Utah Sen. Mike Lee and Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman. 
  
 ___ 
  
 2:27 a.m. 
  
 In a videotaped midnight apology, Donald Trump is declaring "I was wrong and I apologize" after being caught on tape making vulgar and sexually charged comments. 
  
 Yet he's also dismissing the revelations as "nothing more than a distraction" from a decade ago. And he's signaling he'd close his campaign by arguing that Democrat Hillary Clinton has committed greater sins against women. 
  
 Trump's videotaped statement capped a jarring day that threatened to sink the businessman's White House bid and sent Republicans into a panic just over a month from Election Day and on the cusp of Sunday's debate. 
  
 Outraged GOP lawmakers condemned Trump's comments. Trump is heard in the 2005 video bragging about women letting him kiss and grab them because he is famous. ||||| Rossford, OHIO -- Mike Pence ignored questions from reporters Friday evening about leaked video in which Donald Trump is heard making very sexually explicit comments about women. 
  
 “Governor, how can you ignore this question?” asked ABC producer Ines De La Cuetara -- as Pence ignored her question and multiple questions in the same vein from other reporters. 
  
 Hours before, when the Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold published the Trump video, Pence was dropping by a Toledo restaurant, and pool reporters accompanying Pence were suddenly ushered out of the restaurant, depriving them of the ability to throw Pence a question -- although a campaign aide chalked it up to coincidence. 
  
 Roughly an hour later, the Indiana governor was striking a defiant tone at his Rossford rally. He proceeded with his usual stump speech including lines declaring Trump was a “winner” and standing “stronger than ever.” 
  
 Video surfaces of Donald Trump's lewd remarks about women 
  
 Pence lashed out at the media. “Invariably, they’ll say, this time we got him. This time we found that there’s another tweet come out or something,” Pence said. “This time we got another thing, another issue that’s come forward. Then they turn on the next television the next morning, and Donald Trump is still standing stronger than ever before and fighting for the American people. And he is going to fight all the way to the White House.” 
  
 But that fight to the White House clearly faced a setback Friday with the release of the video. Among the lewd comments on the 2005 tape -- unearthed from an “Access Hollywood” interview with Billy Bush -- Trump is heard saying, “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. And when you are star they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p****. You can do anything.” Trump later issued a statement calling his words “locker room banter” and apologized, “if anyone was offended.” 
  
 In spite of Pence’s defiant rhetoric Friday, The Associated Press quoted a person “familiar with the thinking” of Pence and his wife as saying the vice presidential candidate was “beside himself” when he heard the remarks, and his wife was furious. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity, because they were not authorized to share the private discussion. CBS News could not independently verify the remarks characterizing Pence’s reaction. 
  
 Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Saturday morning that there was “zero chance” of him dropping out of the race over the scandal. 
  
 While Trump campaign was dealing with leaked audio, Hillary Clinton’s campaign faced fallout from what purported to be new leaked campaign emails released by Wikileaks which might show partial transcripts of paid speeches she gave to Wall Street banks. The campaign refused to confirm the authenticity of the emails, however. “We are not going to confirm the authenticity of stolen documents released by Julian Assange who has made no secret of his desire to damage Hillary Clinton,” Clinton campaign spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. 
  
 And before that on Friday, the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper officially accused Russia of hacking and meddling in U.S. elections. 
  
 Those accusations from the intelligence community didn’t stop Pence from pointing to the leaked Clinton emails, telling the audience, “Wikileaks released a whole new batch of emails today for your weekend enjoyment.” ||||| Play Facebook 
  
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 A defiant Donald Trump pledged to finish out the race on Saturday as a stampede of Republican politicians denounced his behavior toward women and a number openly called on him to quit. 
  
 "I'd never withdraw," Trump told The Washington Post. "I’ve never withdrawn in my life." 
  
 Trump also told The Wall Street Journal there is "zero chance I’ll quit.” 
  
 "The support I’m getting is unbelievable, because Hillary Clinton is a horribly flawed candidate," he added. 
  
 Trump has weathered plenty of storms in the past, but the severity of the response from his own party over and the timing, just 30 days before the election and one day before the second presidential debate, left his campaign fighting for its life on Saturday morning. 
  
 The media and establishment want me out of the race so badly - I WILL NEVER DROP OUT OF THE RACE, WILL NEVER LET MY SUPPORTERS DOWN! #MAGA — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2016 
  
 Even Trump's own running mate, who dutifully represented Trump at last week's vice presidential debate, distanced himself from the remarks. 
  
 “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," Pence said. "I do not condone his remarks and cannot defend them. I am grateful that he has expressed remorse and apologized 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 he goes before the nation tomorrow night.” 
  
 Notably, the statement did not reaffirm Pence's support for the nominee or include any of the counterattacks on Clinton that Trump emphasized in his own response. 
  
 Melania Trump, the nominee's wife, issued a rare statement decrying her own husband's behavior in stark terms but vouching for his broader character. 
  
 "The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me," she said. "This does not represent the man that I know. 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." 
  
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 Trump's taped apology just after midnight on Friday night, which promised a new war on Bill Clinton's sex scandals, did little to stem the bleeding, which appeared to worsen as multiple prominent Republicans and conservatives withdrew their endorsements. 
  
 "Donald Trump should withdraw and Mike Pence should be our nominee effective immediately," Sen. John Thune (R-SD), the third-ranking member of the Senate GOP leadership, tweeted. 
  
 Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the 2008 GOP nominee who Trump famously said was "not a war hero" because he was captured in Vietnam, withdrew his support on Saturday in a detailed statement. 
  
 In addition to excoriating Trump's "boasts about sexual assaults," McCain also cited his recent claim that the "Central Park Five" were guilty of a notorious 1989 rape despite DNA evidence exonerating them. 
  
 He and his wife, he said, "will write in the name of some good conservative Republican who is qualified to be President.” 
  
 Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who had not weighed in on the election, also came off the fence to denounce Trump. 
  
 "Enough!" she wrote on Facebook. "Donald Trump should not be President. He should withdraw." 
  
 Among those who dropped their support for Trump on Saturday morning alone: Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), Sen. Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL), and radio host Hugh Hewitt, who had been a prominent Trump supporter. In the case of Roby, Crapo, and Hewitt, they called on Trump to drop out. Moore Capito said Trump should "reexamine his candidacy." Ayotte said she would write in Pence on her ballot. 
  
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 As the day continued, the response threatened to spread into a panic. Rep. Joe Heck (R-NV), running for an open senate seat, delivered a speech in Las Vegas demanding Trump withdraw and allow the GOP to select a replacement. Similar statements followed from Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL), Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL), and Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO), all of whom called for Pence to lead the ticket. 
  
 Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), a rising star in the party, also threw his weight behind a Pence takeover: "I cannot and will not support someone who brags about degrading and assault women," he said in a statement. 
  
 Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) tweeted that Trump "forfeited the right to be our party's nominee." 
  
 Trump, for his part, told the New York Times he was unaware of the burgeoning movement to force him out of the race. 
  
 “I haven’t heard from anyone saying I should drop out, and that would never happen, never happen,” Trump said. “That’s not the kind of person I am. I am in this until the end.” 
  
 With just a month left to go, replacing Trump is not an easy task. Ballots are already printed, voting has already begun in some states, and the party's rules would require Trump to voluntarily leave the race before officials could pick another candidate. Legally, it would require a sweeping state-by-state effort to change the official ticket for voters. Politically, it would set off a civil war between party leaders and Trump's most passionate supporters and give the party little time to pick a consensus alternative and introduce them to the public. 
  
 Supporters of the GOP nominee gathered outside Trump Tower in New York, where Trump and his staff were holed up planning their next move, to cheer him on in his moment of crisis. Tump emerged briefly to greet his fans and reassure them he would stay in the race. 
  
 "It's his personal conversation, it's nothing," Trump voter Malka Shahar told NBC News. "He doesn't have to apologize, he's a great man and leader, and I want to see him as our next president." 
  
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 The timing of newly obtained audio from 2005 in which Trump boasted how he used his stardom to approach women and "grab 'em by the pussy," could not be much worse for the nominee, whose standing with women in surveys has already been abominable throughout the campaign. 
  
 "This one matters," a Trump campaign staffer conceded on Friday, adding they had "no idea" how to spin the story in their favor. 
  
 "It's over," a Republican strategist who has been supportive of Trump said. "Never seen anything like it. Never will." 
  
 Related: Trump Says on Hot Mic 'When You're a Star ... You Can Do Anything' to Women 
  
 In the immediate term, the tape is threatening to decisively break Trump's support within the GOP, whose leaders must weigh whether its worth it to defend Trump and risk poisoning the party brand or distance themselves and risk demoralizing their base. 
  
 Based on the early reaction, they're choosing the latter approach. 
  
 "No woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner," RNC chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement on Friday. "Ever." 
  
 Speaker Paul Ryan condemned Trump as well on Friday and announced the nominee would no longer attend his scheduled event with Priebus in Wisconsin on Saturday. 
  
 “I am sickened by what I heard today," he said. "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." 
  
 Shortly afterward, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell followed suit with a statement of his own blasting Trump's "repugnant" comments. 
  
 "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," he added. 
  
 Priebus has stood by Trump through previous crises while Ryan and McConnell have often stayed quiet rather than criticize him, making their statements especially dramatic. 
  
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 They weren't the only ones criticizing Trump on Friday as the story started to look like a tipping point for his detractors within the GOP. 
  
 "I think the wheels just came off," a top staffer at a GOP super PAC said. 
  
 Republican candidates, in particular, rushed to condemn Trump. 
  
 Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL), who is in a tough race and has refused to endorse Trump, tweeted that Trump "should drop out" and that the GOP should move to organize an emergency replacement. He called Trump "a malignant clown — unprepared and unfit to be president of the United States." 
  
 Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), who is under fire in her home state for calling Trump a role model in a recent debate, immediately issued a statement on Friday calling Trump's comments "totally inappropriate and offensive." The next day she announced she would no longer vote for him. 
  
 Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), who supports Trump and also faces a difficult re-election, called Trump's comments "inappropriate and completely unacceptable"on Twitter. Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) tweeted that they were "outrageous and unacceptable." Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) said they were "offensive and wrong." 
  
 "No woman should ever be victimized by this kind of inappropriate behavior," Senator John McCain (R-AZ) said in a statement. "He alone bears the burden of his conduct and alone should suffer the consequences.” 
  
 In Colorado, Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO), who holds a competitive seat, said Trump should leave the race "for the good of the country" and to improve the GOP's chances against Clinton given his "almost certain" defeat. 
  
 Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE), who has made no secret of his disdain for Trump, called on Trump to withdraw from the race. “Character matters,” Sasse tweeted, adding that Trump “is obviously not going to win. But he can still make an honorable move: Step aside & let Mike Pence try.” 
  
 Sen. MIke Crapo (R-ID), who had previously endorsed Trump, withdrew his support over his "disrespectful, profane, and demeaning" behavior and cited his work on domestic violence prevention as a factor in the decision. He called on Trump to drop out and allow Pence to take over. 
  
 The Trump audio also prompted indignant statements from former Trump rivals like John Kasich and Jeb Bush. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who recently endorsed Trump after pointedly refusing to do so at the GOP convention, condemned the video as "disturbing and inappropriate," but did not withdraw his support. Neither did Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), who nonetheless called Trump's remarks "vulgar, egregious [and] impossible to justify" on Twitter. 
  
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 Just as Trump's attack on Machado helped shine a light on related stories about Trump and women, Trump's 2005 boasts about what sounds like nonconsensual behavior could bring back some darker claims that have so far stayed on the edge of the campaign. 
  
 Take Jill Harth, a makeup artist who once sued Trump in 1997 for allegedly groping her in a manner not dissimilar to Trump's 2005 comments. Trump denied the claim and she dropped the suit after several weeks, but she gave an interview to the Guardian standing by her accusation earlier this year. 
  
 The audio also could scramble Trump's strategy for the next debate. In response to the Machado story, his campaign launched a series of attacks on former President Bill Clinton's sex scandals and Trump suggested at a rally last weekend, without evidence, that the former secretary of state had also cheated on her husband. 
  
 That tack, along with the Machado story, provoked a backlash from many Republicans, including some prominent Trump supporters who urged him to stop. Trump told the New York Post earlier this week that he would avoid the topic in the debate. 
  
 With Trump's latest statements that no longer looks to be the case. On Friday, he responded to the latest news initially by claiming, "Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course" and went into further detail about the former president's personal scandals in his video statement. On Saturday, Trump twice retweeted Juanita Broaddrick, who has accused Clinton of sexually assaulting her decades ago. Clinton was never charged and denied the accusation. It seems likely Trump will bring the topic up early and often on Sunday night. 
  
 Trump could try to seize on a new Wikileaks dump of apparent material from Clinton's private speeches dropped on Friday just hours after the Access Hollywood tape. But with so many damaging stories surrounding Trump and his campaign seemingly unable to control its message, it will be difficult to change the subject. With 30 days to go, every minute spent defending his behavior is a minute closer to a loss. ||||| WARNING: This story contains graphic language. 
  
 The videotape of Donald Trump that is shaking up the presidential election sat forgotten on a shelf at NBC's "Access Hollywood" until just a few days ago. 
  
 On Monday, according to an NBC source, one of the entertainment newsmagazine's producers remembered Trump's 2005 taping session with former "Access" co-host Billy Bush. 
  
 Trump's offensive comments about Alicia Machado were still making waves. And the Associated Press had just published a detailed story quoting former "Apprentice" employees saying Trump "was lewd and sexist" while taping the reality show. 
  
 With that in mind, a producer dug up the tape. 
  
 By mid-week, executive producer Rob Silverstein and his producing team had taken a look at its contents, and discovered that among other things it included a moment in which Trump told Bush, "And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything... Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything." 
  
 It also included Trump saying he once tried and failed to have sex with Nancy O'Dell, who was Bush's co-host at the time. 
  
 After reviewing the tape, "we were debating what to do" with it, an NBC source explained. 
  
 By Friday morning, Silverstein had decided to broadcast it, and a script had been written. The story was not slated to air on Friday night's edition of the show, however. 
  
 That means the earliest it would have aired is Monday night -- after Sunday's presidential debate. 
  
 Another NBC source confirmed that "Access" was working on a story, and that NBC News knew about it, but said that as of Friday morning the story "wasn't quite finalized." 
  
 That's when Silverstein was notified that David Fahrenthold of The Washington Post had come into possession of a copy. 
  
 Fahrenthold, who has been reporting for months on Trump's charitable donations and the Trump Foundation, was contacted around 11 a.m. on Friday by a source who told him about the footage, according to a Post story about how he got this scoop. 
  
 Fahrenthold asked NBC for comment about the tape around noon Eastern time. The producers at "Access," which is based in California, were blindsided by Fahrenthold's call. 
  
 According to the Post, Farenthold knows the identity of the person who leaked the video to him, but will not disclose it. 
  
 Sources at NBC believe someone inside NBC downloaded the footage from one of the network's video servers. The tape was accessible internally since the "Access" story was already in the works. 
  
 Silverstein told Page Six on Friday afternoon, "I don't know who leaked it. I have no idea." 
  
 After the Post called NBC for comment, NBC News staff hurried to finish a story about it. So did the "Access" staff. 
  
 On Friday night's edition of the newsmagazine, co-host Natalie Morales reported on the tape, linking it to Monday's investigation by The A.P. 
  
 Morales also noted that Trump has appeared on the show "hundreds of times" over the years. 
  
 "In the course of reporting on Mr. Trump, we have reviewed much of our own footage," she said. 
  
 So does "Access" have other tapes of Trump speaking in vulgar terms? One of the NBC sources said, "Not that I know of." 
  
 O'Dell and "Entertainment Tonight," the show she now co-anchors, both declined to comment. But Brad Bessey, the former executive producer of "Entertainment Tonight," said in a tweet that O'Dell is "is classy, beautiful, family-focused, intelligent & a great journalist. Above the sexist objectification of @realDonaldTrump." ||||| In the wake of a new Washington Post report showing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaking in very lewd terms about women in 2005, some Republicans are calling for Trump to step down as nominee. (Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post) 
  
 House Speaker Paul D. Ryan asked Donald Trump not to attend a campaign event with him Saturday as scores of other Republicans attempt to distance themselves from the party’s nominee — some rescinding their endorsements or calling for him to resign — following the disclosure on Friday of a 2005 video in which Trump made lewd comments about women. 
  
 Ryan and Trump were expected to appear in Ryan’s home state of Wisconsin on the eve of the second presidential debate, but Ryan called off the plan, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Ryan and Trump did not speak personally on Friday, one of them said. 
  
 Ryan said in statement late Friday that Trump “is no longer attending” the event — a festival in Ryan’s Wisconsin congressional district. 
  
 He decried Trump’s newly revealed comments in stark terms. 
  
 “I am sickened by what I heard today,” Ryan said. “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 a short statement issued moments after Ryan’s, Trump said his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence “will be representing me” at the Wisconsin event while he remained in New York to prepare for Sunday’s town hall debate. 
  
 In this video from 2005, Donald Trump prepares for an appearance on "Days of Our Lives" with actress Arianne Zucker. He is accompanied to the set by "Access Hollywood" host Billy Bush. The Post has edited this video for length. (Obtained by The Washington Post) 
  
 Trump’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment on whose decision it was for him not to attend. 
  
 The graphic comments, which Trump made in 2005 on a bus and on the set of a soap opera, feature him bragging about his sexual pursuit of a married woman. 
  
 “And when you’re a star they let you do it,” Trump says. “Grab them by the p—y. You can do anything.” 
  
 What remains to be seen is whether the new revelations, first disclosed by The Washington Post, will trigger a broader abandonment of Trump by GOP officeholders. 
  
 [Trump recorded having extremely lewd conversation about women in 2005] 
  
 So far the movement to abandon Trump has been a trickle. 
  
 Utah’s Republican Gov. Gary Herbert said that he can no longer support Trump and he was followed quickly by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who also rescinded his endorsement of Trump. Both politicians face a Republican base in their states that has been cold to Trump. 
  
 “I’m out,” said Chaffetz on CNN. “I think we should all stand up and say we should not tolerate this.” 
  
 “I can’t do that with my 15-year-old daughter, so why should I do it with the rest of Utah,” he added. 
  
 Other Republicans in swing districts including,Virginia Rep. Barbara Comstock and Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman, also called for Trump to step aside, allowing Pence to lead the ticket. 
  
 And in a video message, Utah Senator Mike Lee, a longtime Trump critic, called on Trump to resign. 
  
 “We have been asked to settle on matters of great principle with our candidate for president of the United States,” Lee said. “This can’t continue. It’s time for us not to settle; it’s time for us to expect more.” 
  
 “Mr. Trump, I respectfully ask you with all due respect to step aside, step down, allow someone else to carry the banner of these principles,” he added. 
  
 Republican lawmakers who were already skeptical of Trump were quick to condemn him, and some of that faction went further. 
  
 Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, who is running an uphill reelection race, called on Trump to drop out, and Herbert, who represents a state where Trump performed poorly in the GOP primary, said he would no longer vote for him. 
  
 But GOP congressional leaders who have endorsed Trump or said they would vote for them, while strongly condemning the newly disclosed remarks, stopped short of rescinding their support. 
  
 Many of them urged him to make a full public apology. 
  
 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the comments are “repugnant, and unacceptable in any circumstance” and made clear Trump’s brief statement would not suffice. 
  
 “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,” he said late Friday. 
  
 House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif) also called on Trump to issue a “full and unqualified apology.” 
  
 Paul Ryan endorsed presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on June 2, but the two haven't always seen eye-to-eye. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) 
  
 The sheer vulgarity of Trump’s remarks — which included a discussion of the liberties he believed famous men could take with women — made the video difficult for GOP leaders to ignore. 
  
 Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee who has vocally criticized Trump, said that Trump’s comments “corrupt America’s” image to the world. 
  
 “Hitting on married women? Condoning assault? Such vile degradations demean our wives and daughters and corrupt America’s face to the world,” Romney said. 
  
 Trump dismissed his remarks as “locker room banter” and said he apologized “if anyone was offended.” 
  
 But allies of Hillary Clinton called it something else: sexual assault. 
  
 “Donald Trump apparently thinks he has the right to sexually assault women because he’s famous,” said NARAL Pro-Choice America National Communications Director Kaylie Hanson Long. “Never mind consent, he doesn’t think he needs it. 
  
 “He’s not a role model, he’s vulgar and dangerous, and his disregard for women has never been more clear,” she added. 
  
 Dawn Laguens, executive vice president of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, predicted in an interview that it would sink his candidacy. 
  
 “If someone, quote, grabbed someone by the p—y, to quote Donald Trump, on a subway or on a bus or at a school, they would be in jail. They would be arrested and prosecuted, and they would go to jail,” Laguens said. “I think we are now moving to the end of the end of Donald Trump.” 
  
 The Clinton campaign’s deputy communications director Christina Reynolds added: “This is horrific. We cannot allow this man to become president.” 
  
 Republican strategists warned that the comments combined with the timing — just days before the second presidential debate in St. Louis — could leave a mark. 
  
 “This one will cause real damage,” Republican pollster Frank Luntz said. “Every hour Trump waits to respond, it’s another 10,000 votes for Hillary. He owes the American people an explanation. What is taking so long?” 
  
 And how Trump handles the questioning at the debate on Sunday could help determine how much of an impact it has on voters, said Sarah Isgur Flores, a Republican strategist and former deputy campaign manager to presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina. 
  
 “It’s an understatement to say this now means Trump heads into Sunday’s debate on defense, which hasn’t worked out well for a candidate that has trouble staying on message even under normal circumstances,” Flores said. “That being said, there’s a huge overlap between Trump voters and voters who already think Trump is a risky bet. 
  
 “So unclear whether this alone will move numbers, but it does make his ability to handle it at the debate in 48 hours wildly more important,” she added. 
  
 Women are already a challenging demographic for Trump in many battleground states, and Republicans’ swift reaction to these latest revelations signal how damaging they think it could be for the party and the Republican nominee. 
  
 Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), the highest-ranking woman in House GOP leadership, who said Trump “owes it to our party and our country to treat everyone respectfully” when she endorsed him in May. 
  
 “It is never appropriate to condone unwanted sexual advances or violence against women,” said McMorris Rodgers, the Republican Conference chairwoman. “Mr. Trump must realize that it has no place in public or private conversations today or in the past.” 
  
 Two senators who have already kept their distance from Trump — Kirk and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) — were more sharply critical. “DJT is a malignant clown – unprepared and unfit to be president of the United States,” tweeted Kirk, who is seeking reelection in a heavily Democratic states and has already announced his intention to write in a presidential candidate rather than vote for Trump. 
  
 DJT is a malignant clown – unprepared and unfit to be president of the United States. — Mark Kirk (@SenatorKirk) October 7, 2016 
  
 He later tweeted that Trump should drop out of the race. 
  
 .@realDonaldTrump should drop out. @GOP should engage rules for emergency replacement. — Mark Kirk (@SenatorKirk) October 8, 2016 
  
 Flake also tweeted his disapproval. 
  
 America deserves far better than @realDonaldTrump — Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) October 7, 2016 
  
 Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), facing a tough reelection battle, issued a statement carefully distancing herself from Trump. 
  
 “His comments are totally inappropriate and offensive,” Ayotte said. 
  
 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), one of Trump’s former rivals for the GOP nomination, also voiced his condemnation of Trump’s 2005 remarks. 
  
 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 
  
 Hillary Clinton’s aides expect the issue to be a major one in Sunday night’s debate at Washington University. 
  
 Before then, however, the campaign has been galvanizing supporters with the new revelations, encouraging them to register to vote and to donate to the campaign. 
  
 Democrats on Friday sought to heighten the pressure on Republican candidates to repudiate Trump entirely. Virtually every Democratic Senate candidate issued statements to that effect, noting that their opponents had stopped short of a total denunciation. 
  
 Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) called it a “moment of truth for Republicans.” 
  
 “It is time for every Republican elected official in this county to revoke their endorsements of Donald Trump and state that they will not vote for their party’s nominee, who has been caught on tape bragging about routinely sexually assaulting women,” he said. “There is no way to defend the indefensible. In the name of decency, Republicans should admit that this deviant – this sociopath – cannot be president.” 
  
 Ryan has been compelled to speak out against Trump on several occasions in the past, including when he called for a “complete ban” on Muslim immigration and when he declined to renounce the support of white supremacist leader David Duke in a television interview. 
  
 After Trump secured the Republican nomination in March, Ryan delayed throwing his support behind him, seeking further assurances that he would be a “standard bearer that bears our standards.” 
  
 Ryan later endorsed Trump, calling him preferable to Hillary Clinton and citing his ability to implement the Republican agenda forged by the House GOP. 
  
 The endorsement was sealed after a May closed-door meeting between Trump, Ryan and other House GOP leaders at Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington. 
  
 The press was not permitted to photograph the two men together, however. That moment was expected to come Saturday. 
  
 Also scheduled to appear at the “FallFest” event are the state’s Republican governor, Scott Walker, and Sen. Ron Johnson, who is seeking reelection this year. |||||