GOP Lawmakers Slam Trump's Surfaced Comments on Women, Withdraw Endorsements

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On Friday, a 2005 video recording was circulated by US media in which Donald Trump is speaking to Billy Bush of "Access Hollywood" on a bus that took them to the set of "Days of Our Lives." Trump makes several vulgar remarks with regard to women while on the bus, as caught on microphone, although the video only shows the moving bus from the outside. Later, Trump is seen exiting the bus with Bush and greeting Arianne Zucker, the actress who then goes with them to the soap-opera set.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan said he was “sickened by what I heard,” as quoted by The Wall Street Journal.

Senator Mark Kirk, who already withdrawn his endorsement in June, called on Trump to quit the presidential race, posting “@realDonaldTrump should drop out. @GOP should engage rules for emergency replacement,” on his official Twitter account.

Senator John McCain issued a statement saying that there were no excuses for Trump's comments.

Representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah and Gary Herbert, the Republican governor of Utah both withdrew their endorsements.

Ex-GOP presidential candidates Senator Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush and Senator Marco Rubio all criticized the presidential nominee for his vulgar comments.

Trump apologized on Friday for any offense his private conversation with Billy Bush might have caused.

In the course of his campaign, Trump has been widely criticized for his controversial statements, including with regard to immigrants, Latin Americans, Muslims, and women.