Arkansas Republicans rebuke Trump's video comments

Gov. Asa Hutchinson is shown in this file photo.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson is shown in this file photo.

As Republican lawmakers around the country denounced their party’s presidential nominee Saturday, members of Donald Trump’s Arkansas Leadership Team condemned the remarks he made in a 2005 video without withdrawing their support.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who was named the team's chairman on Monday, said in a statement that Trump’s remarks were “reprehensible” and “cannot be justified.”

“While he has acknowledged it as wrong and apologized, it is important that he demonstrate in the debate on Sunday and in the future that he understands and respects the value of women,” Hutchinson said. “Both Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump are imperfect as candidates and so the decision must be on the issues of national security, growing our economy and the direction of the Supreme Court."

Attorney General Leslie Rutledge also said Trump’s comments were indefensible, while adding that she would continue to support the New York businessman.

"I cannot condone or defend the words of Mr. Trump,” Rutledge said in a statement. “Mr. Trump has acknowledged how offensive these remarks were and is asking for forgiveness.

“There is no perfect candidate. I will continue to support the only candidate in this race who will get federal regulations off the backs of American workers, keep our families safe from terrorists and appoint conservative judges and justices who will serve on the bench and shape the future of our country long past the term of the next president."

Both Hutchinson and Rutledge spoke at the Republican National Convention this summer, using their speeches to denounce Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Since Friday, some Republicans, like Sen. John McCain and Gov. John Kasich, have withdrawn their support of Trump in light of his comments recorded on video. Even Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, rebuked the nominee, saying, in part, "I do not condone his remarks and cannot defend them."

In the video, which was filmed in 2005, Trump is heard making lewd comments about a woman he tried to seduce. Per The Associated Press, he also said he was “automatically’ attracted to beautiful women.

“I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait," Trump said in the video. "And when you're a star they let you do it. You can do anything.

“Grab them by the p****,” he continued. “You can do anything.”

Three days before the video surfaced, the Trump campaign named the Hutchinson-led leadership team, which also includes Rutledge; Sens. Tom Cotton and John Boozman; Congressmen Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman; and Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin.

In a Trump campaign news release Monday, Hutchinson said he was “delighted to chair the organizational efforts” for the campaign in Arkansas.

Boozman, another member of the Arkansas team, added a vivid hypothetical to what he thought of Trump’s comments in his statement.

"As a husband, father of three daughters, and grandfather of two precious little girls, if I ever heard anyone speak this way about them, they would be shopping for a new set of teeth,” Boozman said.

He continued to call the presidential contest a “race to the bottom of humanity” and said he was “focused on saving the U.S. Senate and being there to fight for Arkansans in the conservative manner they expect."

Two hours before Boozman condemned Trump, the opponent for his Senate seat, Conner Eldridge, sent out a news release, asking how voters could expect the incumbent to stand up for them if he failed to denounce Trump.

“The people of Arkansas deserve an explanation from Sen. Boozman about why he continues to support a nominee that treats women with such disrespect and repulsive behavior," Eldridge said in the release.

Read Sunday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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