The day after the release of a 2005 tape of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump using lewd language and speaking about groping and kissing women, Republicans are scrambling to determine a path forward for a campaign that appears to be in freefall.
Here’s what we know about the fallout from the tape so far. (This story will be updated as developments continue.)
Republican Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas didn't mince words in responding to Trump's comments.
"As a husband, father of 3 daughters, and grandfather of two precious little girls, if I ever heard anyone speak this way about them, they would be shopping for a new set of teeth," Boozman said in a statement Saturday.
"Everyday this presidential race becomes less about the issues facing our country and more and more about a race to the bottom of humanity," Boozman said, adding he was focused on "saving the US Senate."
Republican Ohio Sen. Rob Portman joined those abandoning Donald Trump over the nominee's past crude and sexist comments about women.
"As I said yesterday, Donald Trump's comments were offensive and wrong. I had hoped to support the candidate my party nominated in the primary process," Portman, who is running for reelection, said in a statement Saturday.
"I thought it was appropriate to respect the millions of voters across the country who chose Donald Trump as the Republican Party nominee. While I continue to respect those who still support Donald Trump, I can no longer support him. I continue to believe our country cannot afford a Hillary Clinton presidency. I will be voting for Mike Pence for President."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday called Trump's comments "an insult to all women" and "contrary to GOP values," and suggested that Trump needed to show "true contrition." Trump apologized in a video statement late Friday in which he also attacked Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Exiting Trump Tower Saturday evening, Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani told reporters that there is nothing that is going to cause his [Trump's] dropping out."
"This is basically the insiders against the outsiders anyway," he said. "Donald Trump is the populist candidate. Most of the people that have turned on him are members of the establishment. So I would see this as if you want change in Washington, you vote for Donald Trump. If you want to keep things the same, you vote for Hilary Clinton."
The Trump campaign also has told reporters that they should expect no public appearances by Trump tonight.
Former Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole told Dow Jones that he is standing by his endorsement of Trump. "I've been a Republican forever," he said. "The party has been very good to me. I've had many opportunities as a Republican, and I find it very difficult to desert the party after Trump won 40% of the vote in the primary," he said.
After John McCain disavowed Trump earlier Saturday, Dole is now the only former Republican presidential nominee to support Trump.
Donald Trump retweeted a pair of Twitter messages from Juanita Broaddrick, who has accused Bill Clinton of raping her in 1978.
Vice presidential nominee Mike Pence did not respond to shouted questions from reporters when his plane landed in Rhode Island for a fundraiser, NBC's Vaughn Hillyard reports. Pence ignored or could not hear queries about whether Trump should withdraw from the race or whether Pence himself plans to stay on the ticket.
Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus was at Trump Tower for several hours Saturday, a source tells NBC's Katy Tur.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wrote in a Facebook post that Trump should withdraw from the race. Rice had long resisted weighing in on the 2016 race.
- Trump made a very brief appearance outside of Trump Tower to greet supporters gathered there, NBC's Ali Vitali reports. He offered a thumbs-up and waved to the crowd before going back into the building.
- Arizona senator and former GOP presidential nominee John McCain said he is rescinding his support for Donald Trump. McCain, whose military service Trump derided last summer, had been critical of many of Trump's comments but reluctantly embraced the nominee during his difficult re-election race. In a statement, McCain said he will write in the name of a "good conservative Republican who is qualified to be president."
I have wanted to support the candidate our party nominated. He was not my choice, but as a past nominee, I thought it important I respect the fact that Donald Trump won a majority of the delegates by the rules our party set. I thought I owed his supporters that deference."But Donald Trump’s behavior this week, concluding with the disclosure of his demeaning comments about women and his boasts about sexual assaults, make it impossible to continue to offer even conditional support for his candidacy.Cindy, with her strong background in human rights and respect for women fully agrees with me in this."Cindy and I will not vote for Donald Trump. I have never voted for a Democratic presidential candidate and we will not vote for Hillary Clinton. We will write in the name of some good conservative Republican who is qualified to be President."
- Vice President Joe Biden weighed in on the controversy, saying Trump's comments described sexual assault.
- Appearing a Wisconsin campaign event -- which Trump also was originally slated to attend before being disinvited in the wake of the release of the tapes -- House Speaker Paul Ryan briefly addressed what he called "a bit of an elephant in the room" regarding the Trump controversy. Ryan called the situation "troubling" and said that he stands by the critical statement he issued last night. That statement read in part: "I hope Mr. Trump treats this situation with the seriousness it deserves and works to demonstrate to the country that he has greater respect for women than this clip suggests.”
- In a defiant tweet Saturday afternoon, Donald Trump said that he will "never drop out of the race."
- NBC News has confirmed that the Republican National Committee has placed a hold on the mail production related to the presidential election effort. "Everything got shut down figuring the right message to put out," a source familiar with the decision said. The story was first reported by POLITICO.
- After abruptly cancelling an appearance at a campaign event in Wisconsin alongside House Speaker Paul Ryan, Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence is headed to a private fundraiser in Rhode Island, NBC's Vaughn HIllyard reports.
- In a statement released by Trump's campaign, Melania Trump called her husband's words "unacceptable and offensive to me" but urged the public to accept his apology "as I have."
"The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me. 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 count of Republicans rescinding their endorsement today or calling for Trump to step down is up to 22. Our full and updated list is here.
- Libertarian candidates Gary Johnson and Bill Weld released a statement addressed "to all Republicans," inviting them to support their third-party ticket.
"We speak often of reaching across party lines if elected to get things done for America. Today, we would like to reach across party lines to invite our Republican friends to join our campaign. There is a presidential ticket with two candidates who served honorably and effectively as Republican Governors, and we are it. Our nation and our challenges are much greater than the character or behavior of one man. Join us, and we pledge to present voters with a real alternative to what has become an embarrassing side show."
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former California governor and the new host of Trump's former "Celebrity Apprentice" show, says he will not vote for Trump, his first departure from the Republican Party since 1983.
- Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a former Republican presidential candidate who has been one of the most prominent lawmakers refusing to endorse Trump, said in a lengthy statement that he cannot support him.
"Nothing that has happened in the last 48 hours is surprising to me or many others. Many people were angry and questioned why I would not endorse Donald Trump or attend the Republican Convention. I’ve long had concerns with Donald Trump that go beyond his temperament. We have substantive policy differences on conservative issues like trade, our relationship with Russia, and the importance of balancing the federal budget. I’ve held out hope that he would change on those disqualifying policy positions, but he has not. I’ve also encouraged him to change his behavior for the better and offer a positive, inclusive vision for our country, but he has not. It's clear that he hasn't changed and has no interest in doing so. As a result, Donald Trump is a man I cannot and should not support. The actions of the last day are disgusting, but that’s not why I reached this decision, it has been an accumulation of his words and actions that many have been warning about. I will not vote for a nominee who has behaved in a manner that reflects so poorly on our country. Our country deserves better."
- Senator John Thune became the first member of Republican Senate leadership to call for Trump to step down.
- In a statement, Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence said that he does not condone Trump's language but did not say that he would consider leaving the ticket.
“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," he said. "I do not condone his remarks and cannot defend them. I am grateful that he has expressed remorse and apologized to the American people. We pray for his family and look forward to the opportunity he has to show what is in his heart when he goes before the nation tomorrow night.”
- Trump advisers Chris Christie and Rudy Giuliani are among the team members huddling with the candidate at Trump Tower in Manhattan.
- A flood of Republican lawmakers have condemned the comments, and several previous supporters have called for Trump to step down from the ticket entirely. The latest, Nevada Senate candidate Joe Heck, said at a rally with former Republican nominee Mitt Romney that "I cannot in good conscience continue to support Donald Trump, nor can I vote for Hillary Clinton." Another embattled Senate candidate, Republican incumbent Kelly Ayotte, also announced that "I'm a mom and an American first, and I cannot and will not support a candidate for president who brags about degrading and assaulting women.”
- Pence abruptly cancelled a planned event in Wisconsin alongside House Speaker Paul Ryan. Trump had previously been slated to attend the Republican Party fundraising event but the invitation was rescinded after the release of the audio Friday afternoon.
- Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt called for Trump to step down.
- In interviews with the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal Saturday morning, Trump said that he will not step down. "There is zero chance I will quit," Trump said, adding that he's getting "unbelievable" support."
- On Saturday morning, Hillary Clinton's campaign indicated that it will not be addressing the tapes until Sunday night's debate, telling allies on a conference call that they don't feel the need to "put more spin on the ball."