President Obama on Sunday addressed for the first time a 2005 tape in which Donald Trump suggested he sexually assaults women by trying to "grab them by the pussy," as well as his failed attempt to have sex with a married woman.
Obama called Trump insecure, saying it wasn't a trait suited for serving in the Oval Office.
The tape, from a 2005 episode of Access Hollywood, was released Friday by the Washington Post.
"I don't need to repeat it," Obama said of Trump's comments in the video. "There's children in the room."
He described Trump's comments as demeaning and degrading to women, and also pointed to other remarks by Trump that had put down minorities, immigrants, people with disabilities, and soldiers.
"It tells you that he's insecure," Obama said. "He pumps himself up by putting other people down. Not a character trait I would advise for someone in the Oval Office."
President Obama calls Donald Trump’s comments “disturbing" examples of "unbelievable rhetoric”… https://t.co/7O6qqnpElw
The president made his comments at a fundraiser for Rep. Tammy Duckworth's Senate campaign in Chicago.
Obama called on Americans to support candidates such as Duckworth and Hillary Clinton, praising what he said was their common sense and willingness to work hard for the people they represent.
Obama also said the 2016 election wasn't just about who ended up taking public office: "More importantly, we're going to send a message to our kids about who we are," he said. "We're going to reaffirm what this country is all about."