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Cynical Nigel Farage has tried to play down Donald Trump's disgusting remarks about women by claiming they're the "kind of thing men do".

Despite outrage across the Republican party, the Ukip leader brushed aside Mr Trump's "grab them by the p***y" claim as "alpha male boasting".

Mr Trump refused to quit last night as former US Presidential nominees John McCain and Mitt Romney distanced themselves from his "vile" and "demeaning" comments.

"Sickened" House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan called off a joint campaign event with Mr Trump, his running mate Mike Pence declined to defend him, Arnold Schwarzenegger said he wouldn't vote for him, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on him to quit, and right-wing Sarah Palin said the comments were "beyond abhorrent".

Yet tasteless Mr Farage was sticking to his plan to attend tonight's TV debate between Mr Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton in St Louis, Missouri.

He told reporters in the city: "Look, this is alpha male boasting. It's the kind of thing, if we are being honest, that men do.

(Image: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

"They sit around and have a drink and they talk like this.

"By the way, quite a lot of women say things amongst themselves that they would not want to see on Fox News, or the front page of a newspaper.

"I'm not pretending it's good - it's ugly, it is ugly."

The crass excuse prompted a backlash from Labour deputy leader Tom Watson.

(Image: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

He said: “Nigel Farage's description of Donald Trump's appalling remarks as 'alpha male boasting' and his insistence that talking about women in these terms is 'the kind of thing men do' betray a very troubling attitude to women.

"There are very few men who would describe demeaning women in this way as 'boasting'.

"Nigel Farage seems to be enjoying his new job as a the UK cheerleader for Trump but in so doing he devalues himself and his party in the minds of the decent people of our country."

Pundits expect heated scenes as Mr Trump and Ms Clinton face off over the offensive 2005 comments in their second televised head-to-head debate.

Mr Farage's comments echo the initial response of Mr Trump, who dismissed the obscene language as "locker room banter" before issuing an apology.

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On the tape, Mr Trump, who was newly married to his third wife, Melania, at the time, talks about making a pass at a married woman.

He is heard saying: "I moved on her and I failed, I'll admit it ... I did try and f*** her. I moved on her like a b****, but I couldn't get there. And she was married."

Mr Trump then talks about going after women, saying: "I am automatically attracted to beautiful women. I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss, I don't even wait ... and when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything."

"Grab them by the p***y. You can do anything."

(Image: Getty Images)

Mr Farage has previously spoken at a Trump rally, and was reported to be helping the Republican candidate prepare for the second presidential debate, after Hillary Clinton was widely seen to have won the first one by a clear margin.

Mrs Trump has said she was offended by the remarks, but they did not represent the man she knew.

"The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me. This does not represent the man that I know. He has the heart and mind of a leader."