Melania Trump Says Donald Trump’s Words Are “Unacceptable and Offensive”

Melania Trump has broken her silence about the controversy surrounding her husband.

In a statement released on Saturday afternoon, Melania Trump called Donald Trump’s crass comments about women that resurfaced on Friday to be “unacceptable and offensive” and said she hoped people will accept his apology like she has.

“The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me,” reads the statement. “This does not represent the man that I know. He has the heart and mind of a leader. I hope people will accept his apology, as I have, and focus on the important issues facing our nation and the world.”

The response follows a statement and video apology from Donald Trump, who announced on Saturday morning that, despite growing condemnation and calls for him to quit from his own party, the Republican presidential nominee will “never” withdraw from the race.

“I will never drop out of the race, will never let my supporters down,” he wrote on Twitter, in all caps, Saturday afternoon.

The media and establishment want me out of the race so badly – I WILL NEVER DROP OUT OF THE RACE, WILL NEVER LET MY SUPPORTERS DOWN! #MAGA

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2016

On Friday, a leaked audiotape of Trump talking about making advances on Nancy O’Dell, then a co-host on Access Hollywood, was released online by the Washington Post. In the audio, captured on a hot microphone, Trump and former Access Hollywood co-host Billy Bush are overheard having a lewd conversation about Trump’s advances.

“I moved on her, and I failed. I’ll admit it,” Trump can be heard saying about O’Dell. “I did try and f— her. She was married.”

He continues, “I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married.”

The resurfaced audio was recorded in 2005 when Trump appeared on Access Hollywood to discuss his cameo on Days of Our Lives.

He was newly married to Melania Trump at the time.

On the tape, Donald Trump also said of women in general: “When you’re a star, they let you do it. … Grab them by the p—y. You can do anything.”

Oct. 8, 12:58 p.m. PT: Updated with Trump tweet