'Step Aside' Trump: Comstock's Early Exit Followed by More Exhausted Republicans

MCLEAN, VA — Congresswoman Barbara Comstock was one of the first Republicans calling on Donald Trump to end his presidential campaign after a video released Friday includes audio of the candidate bragging about forcing himself on women in graphic, vulgar terms in 2005.

Representing Virginia's 10th congressional district, Comstock is in one of the most competitive re-election races in the country. Democrat LuAnn Bennett has spent heavily on TV ads throughout the campaign season to tie Comstock's record on social issues to Trump's more controversial comments, particularly about women.

First published by The Washington Post on Friday, the video includes audio from an Access Hollywood bus, with Donald Trump speaking to the show's host, Billy Bush. Apparently neither were aware they were wearing live microphones as Trump talks about being able to throw himself on women. "And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything," he says. “Grab them by the p---y. You can do anything.”

In a statement late Friday, Comstock suggested Trump should withdraw from the race and allow his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, to top the ticket.

“This is disgusting, vile, and disqualifying," Comstock said of Trump's comments. "No woman should ever be subjected to this type of obscene behavior and it is unbecoming of anybody seeking high office. In light of these comments, Donald Trump should step aside and allow our party to replace him with Mike Pence or another appropriate nominee from the Republican Party. I cannot in good conscience vote for Donald Trump and I would never vote for Hillary Clinton.”

In a statement earlier Friday, Bennett noted Republicans are frequently outraged by Trump's comments, but continue to support his candidacy.

“These latest revelations are shocking, but they are sadly not surprising,” Bennett said. “Donald Trump has demeaned women since before he ran for public office, and the Republican Party, with a few exceptions, have stood with him and enabled him every step of the way.”

Throughout the day Saturday, Republicans appeared to be taking this kind of criticism to heart and ditching Donald Trump en masse. By 5:30 Saturday, the most high-profile politicians pulling their Trump endorsements included Sen. John McCain, R-Nev., and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D. — a member of the U.S. Senate leadership team.

A Party Disgusted, Yet Supportive

"I am sickened by what I heard today," said Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, who was supposed to appear at a rally with Trump on Saturday. Ryan said that Trump would no longer be appearing at the event.

"Women are to be championed and revered, not objectified," Ryan said. "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."

According to Access Hollywood, Trump was sitting in the bus on a television studio lot in 2005, preparing to film a segment for the entertainment news show about his guest appearance on a daytime soap opera.

Trump was on the bus with Bush and five other men. The released footage includes audio of Trump talking about his attraction to a married woman.

“I moved on her and I failed. I’ll admit it,” Trump says. “I did try and f--- her … I moved on her like a b----, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married."

Later in the video, Trump and Bush seem to notice Arianne Zucker, the actress who is to escort Trump to the set. “Your girl’s hot as s---, in the purple,” says Bush, who’s now a co-host of NBC’s “Today” show.

“Whoa!” Trump says. “Whoa!”

“I’ve gotta use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her,” Trump says. “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 continues. “You can do anything.”

“Whatever you want,” Bush says.

“Grab them by the p---y,” Trump says. “You can do anything.”

Listen to the full leaked audio here.

The controversy over the video comes as Trump is struggling to court women voters, especially white women, a group Mitt Romney won by 14 points in 2012. The two are polling almost dead even among white women, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll, and Clinton leads Trump by 20 points among all women.

The Associated Press reports that Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, was "beside himself" when he heard the comments and Pence's wife was "furious."

In a statement to the Post, Trump sort of apologized and dismissed the conversation as "locker room banter."

"This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago," Trump said in the statement. "Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course — not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended."

Overnight, he released a second statement that offered a direct apology, before calling the video's release a "distraction from the important issues." He then said he would continue a line of personal attacks on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton regarding President Bill Clinton's infidelity in the 1990s.

"We will discuss this more in the coming days," he said. "See you at the debate on Sunday."

Includes reporting by Mike Torrence and Colin Miner | Congressional photo