GOP’s Pence forging ahead in awkward relationship with Trump

In the video, Trump, who was married to his current wife at the time, is heard describing attempts to have sex with a married woman.

Mike Pence vigorously defended GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump on Monday, two days after he distanced himself from his running mate following the release of a video showing Trump making very vulgar comments in 2005 about physically forcing himself on women.

Here’s a list of categories to determine where some of them stand.

Trump has mixed contrition and counterattacks, taking to to blast “self-righteous hypocrites” and reiterating in the debate that he apologizes for his comments.

Pence was also not part of the campaign’s emergency discussion at Trump Tower over the weekend on how to handle the scandal.

“This is not a decision that I have reached lightly, but his pattern of behaviour has left me no choice”. After originally saying that he was “beside” himself when he first heard the tapes, the IN governor issued a more harshly worded condemnation of Trump’s lewd and abusive comments about women. Ron Johnson. Trump initially said Pence would speak for him.

While neither Ryan nor McConnell immediately withdrew formal support for Trump, Republican leaders in Washington held anguished discussions throughout the evening about how the party should proceed with a badly wounded and potentially toxic nominee.

I can’t defend his remarks, but did you notice they’re 11 years old?

“I am appalled to see them embraced by Donald Trump“, said 5th District Democratic Candidate Jane Dittmar in her statement.

“Finally, I want to urge Republicans to vote”.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert on Friday became the first sitting Republican governor to withdraw his vote over the comments, which he called “offensive and despicable”.

The poll also found almost three-quarters of Republicans want party leaders to continue supporting Trump.

“We must protect America’s future with President Donald Trump“.

“I don’t condone what was said (in the video)”, Pence added, “but I believe in grace, and I believe in forgiveness”.

Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise said “women deserve to be treated with respect”.

Could Donald Trump’s most recent instance of crude behavior actually boost his support? “Mr. Trump should remove himself from consideration as Commander in Chief”.

Pence did not comment on the backlash from fellow Republicans, instead pointing to his evangelical faith as the reason he personally felt able to forgive Trump’s remarks. He has already lost dozens of endorsements and a handful of influential Republicans have called on him to step aside, a truly unprecedented move in American political history.

As of Sunday afternoon, at least 160 of the United States’ 332 sitting Republican governors, senators and House of Representatives members had condemned Trump’s remarks, according to a Reuters review of official statements and local news coverage.

By Monday, Pence was personally praising Trump during his event in Charlotte.

“He said we hadn’t spoken specifically about what (Raddatz) said and the reason for that was because I didn’t say that”, he said with a laugh.

“Tremendous support (except for some Republican leadership”).

Utah Sen. Mike Lee posted a Facebook video asking Trump to step down: “Your conduct, sir, is the distraction”.

After trying to pivot to talking about the state of the nation, Pence stated that the GOP isn’t on his mind too much.

Cooper said Pence, the governor of IN, also needs to offer some reassurance to conservative Christian voters.

Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio after Trump delivered his presidential nomination acceptance speech on July 21, 2016.

Not now supporting Trump or position not known: U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry of Clarendon, U.S. Rep. Ted Poe of Humble and U.S. Rep.