“I said it, I was wrong and I apologise.”
Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump has issued a video apology for offensive comments he made about women in 2005 that were leaked publicly on Friday.
A recording of the comments, made in a conversation with Billy Bush of the TV show Access Hollywood that occurred in 2005, was released by the Washington Post yesterday.
“I moved on her and I failed. I’ll admit it. I did try and f— her. She was married,” Trump was heard to say in a conversation that took place months after Trump married his third wife, Melania.
“I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there,” Trump continued.
“And she was married. Then all of a sudden I see her, she’s now got the big phony tits and everything. She’s totally changed her look.”
Later in the conversation, he spoke about his fondness for aggressively kissing women, saying: “I don’t even wait,” before later adding that he would “grab them by the pussy”.
Trump issued a brief statement apologising for his remarks yesterday before issuing a recorded statement via his Twitter page late on Friday night.
You can see the video below, followed by a transcript of his statement in full.
Here is my statement. pic.twitter.com/WAZiGoQqMQ
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2016
“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 knows these words don’t reflect who I am. I said it, I was wrong, and I apologise.
I’ve travelled the country talking about change for America, but my travels have also changed me. I’ve spent time with grieving mothers who have lost their children, laid-off workers whose jobs have gone to other countries, and people from all walks of life who just want a better future.
“I have gotten to know the great people of our country, and I’ve been humbled by the faith they’ve placed in me. I pledge to be a better man tomorrow, and will never, ever let you down.
“Let’s be honest, we’re living in the real world. This is nothing more than a distraction from the important issues we’re facing today. We’re losing our jobs, we’re less safe than we were eight years ago, and Washington is totally broken.
“Hillary Clinton and her kind have run our country into the ground. I’ve said some foolish things, but there’s a big difference between the words and actions of other people. Bill Clinton has actually abused women, and Hillary has bullied, attacked, shamed and intimidated his victims.
“We will discuss this more in the coming days. See you at the debate on Sunday.”
