Cruz stands by Trump following release of offensive comments about women

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a one-time contender for the Republican presidential nomination, is standing with Donald Trump despite the release last week of a 2005 video depicting the billionaire businessman making sexually explicit comments about women.

While early reports indicated Cruz was waffling on whether he would maintain his support of the GOP presidential nominee, the Texas lawmaker reaffirmed his support Monday when an interviewer in Muleshoe, Texas, asked if he is "still backing the Republican candidate for president, Donald J. Trump."

"I am supporting the Republican nominee because I think Hillary Clinton is an absolute disaster," Cruz said. "Now, my differences with Donald, I have articulated at great length during the campaign and I tried with all my might [to secure the nomination]."

Following the release of Trump's decade-old conversation with former "Access Hollywood" host Billy Bush, during which the New York real estate developer said he can "do anything" to women since he's a "star," including "grab them by the p***y," Cruz took to Twitter to call the remarks "disturbing and inappropriate."

These comments are disturbing and inappropriate, there is simply no excuse for them.

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) October 8, 2016

Every wife, mother, daughter -- every person -- deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. https://t.co/AVSEBastVc

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz)

October 8, 2016

The release of the video came just weeks after Cruz flip-flopped on Trump and decided to endorse his former rival.

"This is an election unlike any other but I’ll tell you, Hillary Clinton, I think, is manifestly unfit to be president," he said of his decision to remain supportive of Trump. "The policies she’s advancing are the continuation of eight years of Barack Obama."

Asked by Gil Lamb Advertising/Channel 6 if he plans to launch a presidential campaign in 2020, Cruz said he'll "see what the future holds," noting that his "focus right now is on representing 27 million Texans."