Donald Trump Apologizes for 2005 Lewd Comments in Taped Video Statement: ‘I Pledge to Be a Better Man’

Donald Trump released a taped video statement Friday evening, hours after the revelation of a 2005 videotape that showed him making vulgar comments about women and with less than 48 hours to go before the second presidential debate on Sunday night.

“I never said I’m a perfect person nor pretended to be someone that I’m not,” he begins. “I’ve said and done things I regret and the words released today on the more than decade-old video are one of them.”

“Anyone who knows me knows these words don’t reflect who I am,” he continued. “I said it, I was wrong and I apologize.”

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Trump’s statement comes after an article published by the Washington Post revealed audio of the 70-year-old real estate mogul, husband and father of five discussing two women in a lascivious manner with former Access Hollywood co-host Billy Bush in 2005.

The candidate has faced plenty of criticism and scandal in the last few months leading up to the general election. His late-night Twitter attacks on former Miss Universe Alicia Machado and his cameos in three Playboy videos made headlines, as did his lewd and sexist comments to crew and female contestants on The Apprentice.

While Trump apologized in the prerecorded statement released on his Facebook page, he also attempted to redirect attention to Bill Clinton‘s relations with other women.

“This is nothing more than a distraction from the important issues we’re facing today,” he said. “Hillary Clinton and her kind have run our country into the ground. I’ve said some foolish things, but there’s a big difference between the words and actions of other people. Bill Clinton has actually abused women and Hillary has bullied, attacked, shamed and intimidated his victims.”

“I pledge to be a better man tomorrow, and will never, ever let you down,” later adding, “See you at the debate on Sunday.”