Lewd Trump remarks taped

GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump (right) greets Art Del Cueto during a meeting with members of the National Border Patrol Council in New York. GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump (right) greets Art Del Cueto during a meeting with members of the National Border Patrol Council in New York. Photo: Evan Vucci, Associated Press Photo: Evan Vucci, Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Lewd Trump remarks taped 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

NEW YORK — Donald Trump reeled Friday under revelations of shockingly crude comments he made about women, dangerously undermining the Republican’s latest attempts to steady a presidential bid at risk of imploding.

Trump tried to head off some of the damage by issuing a statement apologizing “if anyone was offended” by vulgar remarks captured on a 2005 tape and made public Friday. In the recording, obtained by the Washington Post and NBC News, Trump describes trying to have sex with a married woman and brags about women letting him kiss and grab them because he is famous.

“When you’re a star they let you do it,” Trump says. “You can do anything.”

He adds seconds later, “Grab them by the p—. You can do anything.”

The one-sentence response from the head of Trump’s Republican Party was devastating: “No woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner. Ever,” said Reince Priebus, who had stood by Trump through his past provocative comments.

So, too, were the words of GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan: “Women are to be championed and revered, not objectified.” Ryan added tartly that Trump was “no longer attending” a joint campaign appearance set for Saturday in Wisconsin.

“Access Hollywood” said an Associated Press story about Trump’s lewd behind-the-scenes comments as star of “The Apprentice” led it to dig through its archives and turn up the previously un-aired footage from 2005. It was recorded during a bus ride while Trump was on his way to tape an episode of the soap opera “Days of Our Lives.”

Trump’s Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, seized on Trump’s quotes, calling them “horrific.” She said in a Twitter message: “We cannot allow this man to become president.”

But she had her own problems with revelations. The WikiLeaks organization posted what it said were thousands of emails from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. The excerpts include Clinton seeming to put herself in the free trade camp, a position she has retreated from.

Friday’s revelations came two days before Trump and Clinton are to meet in Sunday’s second presidential debate.