Trump turns admission of guilt into onslaught

NEW YORK: Caught on tape making shockingly crude comments about a married woman he tried to seduce, Donald Trump declared in a midnight video: “I was wrong and I apologise”.

Yet even as he did so, he claimed the astonishing recording was “nothing more than a distraction” and argued his words were not nearly as egregious as former president Bill Clinton’s marital affairs.

“I’ve said some foolish things,” the Republican presidential nominee said in a taped apology posted on his Face- book page early Saturday morning. But there’s a big difference between the words and actions of other people. Bill Clinton has actually abused women.”

Turning to his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, Mr Trump, pictured, accused her of having “bullied, attacked, shamed and intimidated” her husband’s “victims”.

Mr Trump’s 90-second statement capped a jarring day that threatened to sink his presidential campaign and sent Republicans into a panic with early voting well under way in several states and a little more than a month until election day.

On Friday afternoon, The Washington Post and NBC News released a 2005 video on which Mr Trump describes trying to have sex with a married woman. He also brags about women letting him kiss and grab them because he is famous.

“When you’re a star they let you do it,” Mr Trump says.

“You can do anything.” He adds seconds later, “Grab them by the p----. You can do anything.” Within hours, the shock of the video led to widespread condemnation from inside Mr Trump’s own party.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said he was sickened by the comments, while a response from a Republican party chief was devastating.

“No woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner. Ever,” said Reince Priebus, who had stood by Mr Trump through his past comments.