Leading Republicans abandoned their support of Donald Trump Saturday, with many of them calling for him to leave the presidential race against Hillary Clinton and allow Mike Pence to stand in as their nominee, a day after a video revealed Trump's lewd and predatory sexual pursuits 11 years ago.

A score of GOP senators and House members issued statements expressing their disgust with the revelations -- which capture Trump on a hot microphone telling "Access Hollywood's" Billy Bush he could "do anything" to women because of his celebrity.

"Grab them by the p---y," Trump says. "You can do anything."

The fallout has spread far and wide with elected Republicans from across the country saying they cannot condone Trump's conduct and will not vote for him.

"Donald Trump should withdraw and Mike Pence should be our nominee effective immediately," said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate.

"I cannot and will not support a candidate for president who brags about degrading and assaulting women," said Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, who is locked in a tight re-election battle.

"I'm out. I can no longer endorse Donald Trump for president. There's no possible way I vote for Hillary Clinton. But, these are abhorrent. They are wrong," said Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz on CNN.

"Enough is enough," said South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard. "Donald Trump should withdraw in favor of Governor Mike Pence. This election is too important."

Even as Trump vowed to remain in the race in the eye of a political superstorm, top leaders in the party began moving to quash his candidacy by contemplating pulling resources and applying sustained public pressure calling on him to quit.

While Trump's name has already been printed on millions of ballots, he could still remove himself from the race and instruct supporters to vote for his running mate Pence.

But by Saturday afternoon, there were no signs he was wavering.

The Trump campaign continued to send fundraising solicitations that said he was preparing for Sunday night's debate in St. Louis. But the unprecedented nature of the controversy and the mass desertion of a major party nominee by its members cast a new level of uncertainty about Trump's fate in this unpredictable election year.

"We will make it through this," vowed one Trump aide in a battleground state.

While he has survived countless controversies before, Trump has not seen this level of intra-party outrage and condemnation.

Even Pence issued a statement saying he was offended by the words and actions of Trump in the video.

"I do not condone his remarks and cannot defend them. I am grateful that he has expressed remorse and apologized to the American people. We pray for his family and look forward to the opportunity he has to show what is in his heart when he goes before the nation tomorrow night," Pence said.

Some Republicans argued Pence should step aside as Trump's running mate to salvage his own career.

During a 90-second video released early Saturday morning, Trump said the words he used don't reflect who he is and that traveling the country during his campaign has changed him.

"I said it, I was wrong and I apologize," he said.

But he also indicated he would dig in and attempt to make former President Bill Clinton's own infidelities an issue.

"Bill Clinton has actually abused women and Hillary has bullied, attacked, shamed and intimidated his victims," Trump said. "We will discuss this more in the coming days."

While denunciation of Trump's remarks was widespread within the GOP, top leaders like Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have not yet pulled their support. Former GOP candidate Carly Fiorina, however, did and Ryan dis-invited Trump to a campaign event in Wisconsin.

But there's growing pressure internally and around the country for Republicans to cut ties with Trump in order to salvage the party's long-term future regardless of the result on Nov. 8.

Trump already was heading into the second debate trailing Clinton by 3 to 6 points nationally and behind in a majority of battleground states. He's now likely to have to climb out of an even bigger deficit, overcoming the most devastating period of his tumultuous 16-month campaign.

Meanwhile, Democrats at all levels sought to pummel any Republican who remained silent or continued to stand by Trump in the face of the tapes. But the Clinton campaign was largely quiet, content to watch the controversy unfold and undo Trump all by itself.

Ironically, the Clinton campaign wants Trump to remain in the race as he presents the best odds for the former secretary of state to ascend to the White House.

"There are 32 days to go," tweeted Clinton press secretary Brian Fallon late Friday. "And Trump continues to dominate the news."

Meanwhile, a release by WikiLeaks of thousands of new Clinton campaign emails and documents included a speech to Wall Street bankers in which Clinton praised "open borders" and free trade. Those are positions she has supported in the past but abandoned during the primaries as she fought back a stiff challenge from Bernie Sanders.