WASHINGTON (Press TV) - Reactions to leaked 2005 remarks by U.S. Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump has been widespread across the nation with right-wing Evangelical leaders siding with him as many Republican lawmakers insist on his replacement.
Amid the mounting criticism of Trump within his own party on Saturday, even his running mate Mike Pence refused to defend the billionaire politician, saying that he was "offended” by the obscene comments made in a taped video that surfaced Friday.
"As a husband and father, I was offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump in the eleven-year-old video released yesterday,” Pence said in a statement. "I do not condone his remarks and cannot defend them.”
Trump’s late-night apology for the remarks failed to quell the unprecedented controversy over his comments, which include explicit language boasting sexual harassment of women, prompting growing demands by Republicans for him to quit the race.
The development came just a day before a pivotal second presidential debate between Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and coincided with controversy surrounding Clinton’s leaked emails unveiling her affinity with the Wall Street.
While Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate continue to abandon Trump in droves, influential right-wing Evangelical leaders -- well known for their extreme anti-Muslim and pro-Israel positions – have reiterated their support for Trump despite his highly unethical and abusive remarks about women.
Family Research Council head Tony Perkins said in an interview that his support for Trump is about conservative policy position, not personal values.
Speaking with BuzzFeed News Perkins said, "My personal support for Donald Trump has never been based upon shared values, it is based upon shared concerns about issues such as: justices on the Supreme Court that ignore the constitution, America’s continued vulnerability to Islamic terrorists and the systematic attack on religious liberty that we’ve seen in the last 7 1/2 years.”
This is while Faith and Freedom Coalition president and veteran Christian politician Ralph Reed cited abortion, the economy and the Middle East as keys to his continued support for Trump.
"Voters of faith are voting on issues like who will protect unborn life, defend religious freedom, create jobs, and oppose the Iran nuclear deal,” said Reed.
He further added, "Ten-year-old tapes of private conversation with a television talk show host rank very low on their hierarchy of concerns.”
Meanwhile, the exploding controversy has thrown Republicans up and down the ballot into crisis mode and has put party in a desperate position as it seeks to maintain its majority in the U.S. Senate just a month before the November 8 Election Day.
**** U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a town hall event on October 6, 2016 in Sandown, New Hampshire.