Ledyard King

USA TODAY

GOP Sen. Marco Rubio is standing by Donald Trump.

Breaking several days of silence, the Rubio campaign issued a statement Tuesday responding to reporters who had been asking whether the release Friday of a 2005 Access Hollywood tape of Trump making lurid and suggestive comments about women would prompt him to stop supporting the Republican presidential nominee.

In a word, no.

Here's the statement:

“I ran against Donald Trump. And while I respect that voters chose him as the GOP nominee, I have never hesitated to oppose his policies I disagree with. And I have consistently rejected his offensive rhetoric and behavior. I disagree with him on many things, but I disagree with his opponent on virtually everything. “I wish we had better choices for President. But I do not want Hillary Clinton to be our next President. And therefore my position has not changed.”

It’s essentially what Rubio has been saying for months, ever since Trump wrapped up the nomination earlier this year. And while the Florida senator who is seeking re-election on the same ballot with Trump has said he has no plans to campaign with the billionaire, Rubio also hasn’t gone out of his way to disparage him.

The tape released Friday prompted a number of prominent Republicans, such as Arizona Sen. John McCain and former secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, to withdraw their already tepid support from Trump. At the time, Rubio also tweeted his disgust with Trump’s “vulgar” behavior but had left the issue of his continued support in question until Tuesday’s statement.

Rubio has consistently said he’d support the GOP nominee, whomever that was. Even if the senator decided not to back Trump, political observers said he could risk his own seat by alienating the real estate mogul’s supporters in the Sunshine State.

An NBC News /Wall Street Journal poll released Monday found that two-thirds of registered Republican voters nationally said GOP candidates for Congress should continue to back Trump.

Rubio’s opponent, Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy, has pounced on Rubio’s refusal to withdraw support for Trump as “political cowardice” that will come back to haunt him. Recent polls show Rubio leading Murphy in the race.