Washington GOP chair blames Democrats for Trump's comments

Susan Hutchison, Washington State GOP chairwoman. Susan Hutchison, Washington State GOP chairwoman. Photo: KOMO Photo: KOMO Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Washington GOP chair blames Democrats for Trump's comments 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Washington State Republican Party Chairwoman Susan Hutchison defended Donald Trump on Friday after the Washington Post released a new video in which the GOP nominee was caught having a lewd conversation about women in 2005.

In an interview with KOMO News Radio, Hutchison said the comments made 11 years ago were "repulsive to her" and others, then blamed former President Bill Clinton and the Democratic Party.

"He [Trump] was a Democrat at the time and he was channeling Bill Clinton," said Hutchison. "The hypocrisy of Hillary Clinton to say, 'This man does not belong in the White House,' when her husband defined this behavior is just absurd."

Other Republican leaders around the country have condemned Trump's behavior and spoken out against the comments, including former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

In a tweet, Romney called the comments "vile degradations" that "demean our wives, daughters and corrupt America's face in the world."

Hitting on married women? Condoning assault? Such vile degradations demean our wives and daughters and corrupt America's face to the world. — Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) October 8, 2016

House Speaker Paul Ryan also uninvited Trump to a GOP event that was scheduled on Saturday in Wisconsin.

"All of this behavior occurred when he [Trump] was a Democrat," said Hutchison. "I'm saying that the man was Democrat at the time and that Bill Clinton defined this behavior."

Hutchison then went on the defend the Republican nominee.

"Donald Trump is the selection of our voters and the Republican Party. What happens from here, who knows," said Hutchison. "But what I'm saying is that Donald Trump said those comments when he was a Democrat and he is a Republican today."

Wa GOP Chair: "...Trump said those comments when he was a Democrat, and he is a Republican today." Full transcript of @komonews interview pic.twitter.com/O6GKTLbc4J — Bonnie Moon (@bonniemoon) October 8, 2016

Trump blurted out lewd and sexually charged comments about women as he waited with then-Access Hollywood host Billy Bush to make a cameo appearance on a soap opera in 2005.

In a statement released by his campaign on Friday, Trump said: "This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course — not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended."