South Dakota Republican leaders called for the resignation of Donald Trump as the GOP presidential nominee Saturday following the release of a 2005 video recording that showed Trump speaking in extremely vulgar terms about women.
Gov. Dennis Daugaard, Lt. Gov. Matt Michels and U.S. Sen. John Thune called on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to withdraw his candidacy in favor of vice presidential candidate Mike Pence.
The video, first published by the Washington Post, depicts Trump bragging to "Access Hollywood" host Billy Bush about his efforts to kiss, grope and have sex with women.
“And when you’re a star they let you do it,” Trump says. “Grab them by the p—y. You can do anything.”
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. The Republican presidential nominee issued a rare apology Friday. (Oct. 7) AP
Daugaard, Michels and Thune on Twitter encouraged Trump to withdraw his candidacy Saturday morning breaking an hours-long silence on the nominee's comments.
"Enough is enough. Donald Trump should withdraw in favor of Governor Mike Pence. This election is too important," Daugaard tweeted Saturday.
Thune, the first Senate Republican to call for Trump's resignation, also tweeted Saturday morning and urged Trump to drop out of the race.
"Donald Trump should withdraw and Mike Pence should be our nominee effective immediately," Thune wrote.
And Michels urged the nominee to act swiftly in abdicating the position.
"Time is NOW! Trump must step aside for Pence...for our party and country," he said.
Thune, Michels and Daugaard are the latest in a series of Republican leaders nationally to call for the nominee's resignation. Trump said Saturday that he has no intention of withdrawing.
GOP leaders including House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus denounced Trump's comments as offensive but didn't immediately rescind their support for the nominee.
Trump issued a video late Friday night apologizing for his comments.
“Anyone who knows me knows these words don’t reflect who I am,” Trump said. “I said it, I was wrong, and I apologize.”
Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., on Saturday afternoon tweeted her disdain for Trump's comments but didn't immediately say whether she would withdraw her endorsement.
"No one should ever talk about a woman - another person for that matter - in the repulsive way that Donald Trump did. Period," Noem said.
Just hours after a 2005 video tape was released showing Donald Trump making lewd and graphic comments about winning, the Republican presidential nominee issued a video apology.
Noem's Democratic challenger Paula Hawks on Saturday said her campaign has repeatedly called on the Congresswoman to disavow Trump. She said Noem should explain why she hasn't withdrawn support from Trump sooner.
"Nothing has changed about Donald Trump's behavior," Hawks said. "The only thing that's changed now are the poll numbers."
In a statement Friday night, the South Dakota Democratic Party called the remarks "shocking and horrifying." They called on the state's Republican leaders to revoke their endorsements following the release of the video.
"Quite simply, (the comments) amount to a man celebrating his ability to sexually assault a woman," a party spokesman said. "No woman should ever be treated in such a way. His remarks show this narcissistic man's crass views of women and that he views women as objects, not equals. This man has no business being president of our great country."
Sen. Mike Rounds and a spokesman for the South Dakota Republican Party didn't respond to requests for comment late Friday and neither had shared his opinion about the statements on social media.
In a statement, Natalie Krings, a spokeswoman for Rounds, on Saturday morning said Rounds has agreed with Trump's goal of making America great again, but will be clear when he disagrees with the nominee.
"This is clearly a situation in which Sen. Rounds disagrees with the comments Mr. Trump made," Krings said. "They are deplorable and indefensible."
Follow Dana Ferguson on Twitter @bydanaferguson, call (605) 370-2493 or email dferguson@argusleader.com
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