ST. GEORGE – In the wake of lewd comments about women voiced by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in an audio recording from 2005, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said Friday he will not vote for Trump. Others have also blasted Trump for the comments.
Herbert made his announcement via Twitter.
Donald Trump’s statements are beyond offensive & despicable. While I cannot vote for Hillary Clinton, I will not vote for Trump. #utpol
— Gary R. Herbert (@HerbertForUtah) October 8, 2016
While Herbert has previously been tepid about supporting Trump, he nonetheless stated earlier this year that he would vote for the GOP nominee. While he has shown more enthusiasm for Mike Pence, Trump’s running mate, any sliver of support for the GOP’s presidential pick has evidently evaporated.
In the 2005 recording, Trump brags about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women who were not his wife on recordings obtained by The Washington Post and NBC News. The celebrity businessman boasted “when you’re a star, they let you do it,” in a conversation with Billy Bush, then a host of the television show “Access Hollywood.”
During part of the recording, Trump also said a woman he “moved on” was married, though he ultimately failed in this regard, he said.
The remarks were captured by a live microphone that Trump did not appear to know was recording their conversation.
In a statement released by his campaign, 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.
Trump also released a fuller statement in a video via Twitter in which he apologizes once more, saying he is not a perfect person who has said and done things he regrets, which includes the conversation from 11 years ago.
Here is my statement. pic.twitter.com/WAZiGoQqMQ
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2016
Utah GOP leaders and others have since voiced their disapproval of Trump’s words.
Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz, of Utah’s 3rd Congressional District, told Fox 13 News he could no longer endorse Trump.
“I’m out. I can no longer in good conscience endorse this person for president,” Chaffetz said. “It is some of the most abhorrent and offensive comments that you can possibly imagine.”
Chaffetz is reportedly the first Republican member of Congress to pull his endorsement of Trump.
Sen. Orrin Hatch also released a short statement condemning Trump’s comments.
“Mr. Trump’s comments were offensive and disgusting,” he said. “There is no excuse for such degrading behavior. All women deserve to be treated with respect.”
Mitt Romney, former Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts governor, added his opinion to the fray erupting on Twitter.
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
Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox’s compared the situation to a Ray Rice video, and shared a text from his wife on the matter for all the world – with permission he noted:
Well, congratulations GOP! There is your repulsive, repugnant, evil, vomit-inducing nominee! Maybe next time the dems will be as stupid and out up Honey Boo Boo and we can resort to mind numbing, IQ dropping, depraved, reality TV for out political leaders. God help us all!
Feels a little like the Ray Rice video. Also, here is a text I just got from my wife (used w her permission)… pic.twitter.com/WUuZuNxdh2
— Spencer Cox (@SpencerJCox) October 8, 2016
The Utah Democratic Party also chimed in with the release of the following statement from Lauren Littlefield, the party’s executive director:
We’ve known all along that Donald Trump is not fit for the presidency, but the video remarks leaked today take things to a new low. We commend Gary Herbert, Greg Hughes, Jason Chaffetz, Jon Huntsman, Jr., and the other Trump supporters who are now reconsidering their stance on the presidential race. We encourage all Utahns to do the same. Our vote in this election is too important to cast based solely out of party loyalty. Donald Trump does not represent Utah values, and we urge voters to study the candidates and the issues both at the top of the ticket and all the way down the ballot.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @MoriKessler
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2016, all rights reserved.
Both the Republican and the Democrat running for president are unsuitable for the office they seek. I don’t want to hear anymore about who is the lesser of the two evils. Evil is evil. Trump didn’t do or say anything that Bill Clinton hasn’t said and done.
both men and Mrs. Clinton are a disgrace.
Turn out the lights, the parties over., the rnc party that is.
its interesting to hear all these one issue idiots spouting off their propaganda.
And it just goes to show how out of touch southern Utah is from the rest of the country.
And this is from a true independent that does not vote on a issue because of the church, nra
or other issues that try and direct the sheep.
You’re a “true independent”? Bwahahahahaha. You’ve demonstrated on this forum that the only thing that you’re independent of is any sort of intellectual, rational thought. If you dislike it so much in southern Utah – move.
oh henry, you stooge
I don’t dislike southern utah, because I can irritate narrow minded people like you,
you should consider moving someplace where you can be more active with the kkk, or
maybe you hang out with the bundies. I bet you are one of these idiots that wraps a flag
around themselves and call himself a patriot, when in reality you are nothing but a coward
that never made any sacrifices for your country.
Tcrider, nice to hear your typical response of smears and whining, lacking any logic or insights. Perhaps you should hang out with the Black Lives Matters crowd, since you seem to share the same hateful, bigoted rhetoric.
I spent 27 years in the Army, including a year in Afghanistan, a year in Iraq, and 6 months in Kuwait. What sacrifices have you made for your country, little boy?…..
Get over it….this is alpha male locker room talk.
There’s been much worse said at a Congressional Cocktail Party or in a football locker room.
The left will dredge up garbage on any Conservative candidate.
Trump is still the FAR LESSER of the “two evils”.
bragging about your efforts to seduce a married woman is not just “alpha male locker room talk.” If you have said worse in the locker room, then you are as despicable as Trump. The race is over, and your ilk lost.
So you prefer a candidate that was caught on tape, laughing about getting an acquittal for a child rapist?
A candidate who outright lied to the faces of families whose loved ones were murdered in Benghazi?
A candidate who stands by a husband that has been documented as accompanying his pedophile billionaire friend on his plane “the Lolita Express”, to enjoy underage girls?
If Trump supporters are “despicable”, what are you and “your ilk”?
obviously, you prefer to repeat already debunked accusations that partisan opponents have leveled. Whether despicable applies to you is uncertain, but we can easily see that your ilk is just plain stupid.
I cited verifiable facts, which anyone can google and see via multiple sources. You’re beyond stupid, you’re truly delusional.
You tell them Henry! My gosh, just think if anyone of us was recorded talking and it being taken at face value, you know there was something everyone of us has said that was unpresidential lol
You tell’em ladybug
There is NO WAY anyone should help put the evil HC into the office. The donald could do us all a favor and come clean by stepping down now and watch Pence win by a landslide. As it is, we all should pray for this country.
We are in serious trouble with this election. neither candidate is fit to be president. the more donand talks the more support he loses
I just can’t believe there are those who defend this piece of human waste named Trump. What is wrong with you people? It doesn’t matter if you hate Hillary, but to stoop to such a low level of intellect in support of Trump trash. You are right on one mark, we’re in trouble all right, having a population of voters so delusional they’ll line up like lemmings.
Let me guess, you didn’t vote for Mitt Romney in 2012 because he abused animals. That was clearly demonstrated by Romney driving on vacation for 12 hours with the family dog in a carrier on top of their station wagon. Thank God that also received widespread media coverage.
To base your presidential choices on such criteria as these demonstrate that your cognitive reasoning skills are stunning!
Well first off Henry, you have no idea what I base my choices on, and to make an assertion as exaggerated as that from a simple observation of Trumps bad behavior is little more than an attempt to defend the indefensible. More important is your willingness to defend and probably vote for Trump, is far more of a stunning demonstration of no cognitive skills.
You’re making your presidential decision off an intellectually baseless reason, so I was drawing a parallel with an equally preposterous reason from the 2012 election. Too bad that the irony flew over your head. It’s rather humorous that you vociferously attack the intellect of a large group of people when you apparently are deficient in it yourself.
There you go again making a claim of who I’m choosing to support because I think Trumps behavior is disgusting. You have no idea who I support. I am pleased as punch that Trump will not be the president and that you and your ilk are a dying breed. Attack? You mean point out the mentality of a group who won’t or can’t think for themselves, you included.
Ladybug, Delusional is not my favorite word, I have plenty more of descriptive words I would love to share, but in this forum they won’t be published.
You’re right, I was incorrectly crediting you with a modicum of logic in your rationale. Now you’re a seersayer, able to guarantee that Trump won’t become President.
More troubling, you persist in referring to people who don’t share your opinion as “you people” and “your ilk”. You appear to be a narrow minded bigot, readily denigrating everyone who doesn’t align with your background or views. I pity your family and neighbors having to endure the prejudice of such a bitter person.
Is your favorite word to too or two? If I guess enough times I will find your favorite word LOL…is it 4 letters?
Your favorite word, delusional lol
You tell’em ladybug
The self righteous indignation of some of the commenters and our Utah elected officials is humorous. I’d like a hot mic in the locker room with our sanctimonious Mormon politicians, so we can hear what they REALLY think about blacks in the LDS church. LOL
Suspiciously untimely regurgitation of a ten year old video is hardly necessary to let the American people know what Donald Trump is all about. He’s spent his entire campaign portraying himself as a gruff no nonsense businessman who says what he wants, and has won the Republican nomination doing so. Those that bailed out are incumbent weaklings who spent their careers flip-flopping their views in the name of political correctnes, never took a stand, never won a war and quite frankly, are the very reason why the country is in such dire straights now
You tell ‘m old school
You tell’em ladybug
You tell’em oldschool
You tell’em ladybug
You tell’em ….
desperate for attention eh ?
If your next door neighbor is rumored to be a child sex predator you wouldn’t let him babysit your kids, right? then why in the world would you want a woman who is rumored to be a criminal lead the country?
You tell ‘m John
You tell’em ladybug
You tell’em John
You tell’em oldschool
you tell’em ladybug
You tell’em …
You poor little thing you need a hug ?
Trump, the big, tough, strong leader whines and cries like a little girl when confronted with this video. “Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course -not even close.” This guy is pathetic and while Utah leaders should be commended for pulling their support for him, you have to question their judgement for giving it to this loser in the first place.
I am just wondering what dirt could be found on anyone if someone looked hard enough. I mean everybody says things when we think no one is looking or listening. If you live in glass houses you should not throw stones. They had to go back ten years to find this. I can not wait to see what they can find those who condemn Trump…
Who Cares, I’m Not Supporting Herbie anyway, Hes Gone
Who cares ? Evidently you do stupid ! you took the time to comment on an article concerning something you claim you don’t care about ! LOL it seems the media BS is working on you also.! ….LOL. ha ha ha ha ha ha
Ya’ll are going off media BS and it looks Like its Working LOL
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha !
Henry, don’t waste your time with little theone.
Thank you for your service Henry!
Thank you Ladybug, I appreciate it! Hope that things are going well for you in Oklahoma.
You tell’em ladybug