Vice President Joseph R. Biden accused Republican nominee Donald Trump of “sexual assault” Saturday for the candidate’s lewd comments on tape a decade ago.

“The words are demeaning. Such behavior is an abuse of power. It’s not lewd. It’s sexual assault — Joe,” Mr. Biden wrote on his Twitter account Saturday afternoon.

While in the Senate, Mr. Biden championed the Violence Against Women Act.

Mr. Trump has apologized for his description of his unsuccessful efforts to have sex with a married woman, and his ability to grope women at will because he is a celebrity.

His wife, Melania, issued a statement Saturday saying “the words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me.”

“This does not represent the man that I know,” Mrs. Trump added. “He has the heart and mind of a leader. I hope people will accept his apology, as I have, and focus on the important issues facing our nation and the world.”

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