Indiana Governor Mike Pence not to quit campaign over Donald Trump tape scandal

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and running mate Mike Pence (L) greet after he introduced Trump at an event hosted by The Economic Club of New York at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York on September 15, 2016. (photo by AFP)

Indiana Governor Mike Pence will not quit the campaign of GOP nominee Donald Trump over his sexually obscene comments, a campaign aide says.

The director of the Trump campaign vice presidential operations, Marty Obst, suggested Sunday that Pence and Trump’s supporters are “focused” on issues more important than sexually offensive comments by the New York billionaire caught on several tapes.

This is while newly uncovered audio files by CNN have exposed more of such comments by the former reality TV star.

In one of the files dating back to In another interview, from September 2004, Trump shrugs off an offensive description of her daughter, Ivanka Trump, by celebrity radio host Howard Stern.

The recent batches of such remarks have led to a barrage of criticism against Trump, with growing call for his withdrawal.

His VP pick, Pence, was even left speechless and “offended,” afterWashington Post released a videotape, in which Trump was heard bragging about having sex with a married woman among other lewd comments.

Obst indicated, however, that the Indian governor does not intend to leave the campaign following the comments that have embarrassed the US authorities and outraged the nation.

At a Saturday gathering with GOP donors, Pence “spoke enthusiastically about Mr. Trump, his pro-growth economic policies and the movement he’s begun,” Obst told the Wall Street Journal.

“Several guests remarked that they didn’t want to get caught up trying to dissect every statement by Mr. Trump,” he said. “They were focused instead on his message and his positions.”

Top Republicans, including Senator John McCain, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have denounced Trump over the comments.

Following the scandalous leak by the Post on Friday, Trump released an unprecedented apology.

However, he has asserted that he would never quit the race for the November 8 vote.

His advisor, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani echoed Trump’s previous comments, stating he would not withdraw and was prepared to take on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

"He's showing up, he's as prepared as as he's ever been and he's all ready for the debate tonight and he's obviously, you know, feels very bad about what he said, he's apologized for it and he'll probably do it again. But what he'd like to do is move on to the issues that are facing the American people. They only have a few more days to kind of think about it," Giuliani said.

He further asserted that Trump is "going to remain in the race. He was selected by more Republican voters than anyone has ever been selected in a Republican primary. He owes them the duty to run. It is true that he said something and said a group of things during that interview that are reprehensible and terrible and awful. And he feels terrible about it. It was 10 or 12 years ago. He wasn't, at that time, you know running for office, he wasn't thinking of office. He's gone through I think a very, very intensive process, as you know it is, in running for president. What is it, the last 14 months he's been all over the country. He understands the responsibilities on his shoulders now which weren't there back then."