Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani insisted Donald Trump will not drop out of the presidential race and is "in it to win it" following the release of audio of Trump making lewd comments about women.

"Of course he's going to be at the debate" Sunday night, Trump told a CNN reporter who caught up to him getting into an SUV outside Trump Tower in Manhattan on Saturday. Giuliani and other close advisers had spent the day huddled with Trump inside the building where Trump lives and works.

"There is nothing that is going to cause his dropping out," Guiliani said through a passenger-side window as he snapped on his seatbelt. "That's a wishful thinking of the Clinton campaign and those people who have opposed him for a long time. He's in the race to win, and he is gonna win."

As for the growing number of Republicans withdrawing their support or urging Trump to drop out, the former mayor said they largely represent people who opposed Trump's run from the beginning, so they don't surprise him.

"And this is basically the insiders against the outsiders anyway," he said. "Donald Trump is a populist candidate. Most of the people that have turned on him are members of the establishment. So I would see this as, if you want change from Washington you vote for Donald Trump. If you want to keep things the same you vote for Hillary Clinton."

With that, his driver took off down the rain-drizzled street.