McConnell to Trump: ‘Take full responsibility’ for lewd comments
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Friday night disavowed lewd comments Donald Trump made about women in 2005, and advised the GOP presidential nominee to make a full-throated apology.
“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.
{mosads}The Senate Republican leader added that the remarks are “repugnant, and unacceptable in any circumstance.”
The Washington Post published audio of the businessman making explicit comments about trying to have sex with women, which were caught on a hot mic in 2005. Trump issued a half-apology, saying the comments were private “locker-room banter” and “I apologize if anyone was offended.”
But that has done little to stop a growing wave of backlash from congressional Republicans and top party officials, who are scrambling to distance themselves from the embattled nominee’s remarks.
McConnell’s counterpart across the Capitol, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), also disavowed Trump’s remarks earlier saying he was “sickened” by the comments and that Trump would no longer be attending what was scheduled to be their first joint appearance on Saturday.
But Trump’s remarks — which were published roughly a month before the November election — carry an extra danger for McConnell, who is defending 24 seats including a handful in purple states previously carried by President Obama.
Vulnerable GOP incumbents have raced to disavow the nominee’s rhetoric, though like McConnell they stopped short of dropping their support for Trump.
Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) both called the remarks “inappropriate.” Meanwhile, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said the comments were “outrageous and unacceptable.”
Senate Republicans have walked a fine line on Trump. While they are quick to break with his more controversial statements, they’ve also refused to cut ties with him or the base of supporters they will need to win reelection and potentially keep control of the Senate.
Democrats need to win back five seats — or four if they also retain the White House — to win back the Senate and believe Trump at the top of the ticket will help them by dragging down GOP congressional candidates.
Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) pleaded with Republicans on Friday night to drop Trump calling the fallout from his remarks a “moment of truth” for the party.
The executive director of the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm criticized Republicans, accusing them of having a “polite disagreement” with his remarks.
“If a Republican Senate candidate’s first reaction was not to fully rescind their support for this vulgar person then this speaks volumes about their lack of judgment,” the statement from DSCC executive director Tom Lopach said.
House and Senate Democrats have been seeking to tie Republican congressional candidates to Trump.
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