The Iowa G-O-P’s chairman opened the party’s annual fall fundraiser on Saturday night by admitting Republicans are “bummed out” by the news of lewd comments Donald Trump made about women — but chairman Jeff Kaufmann and other top party leaders remain committed to voting for Trump.

 

Kaufmann praised the crowd for “showing up” and they responded with applause whenever any speaker, including Kaufmann, criticized Clinton.

 

Kaufmann was one of 10 speakers at the event. Only three of them said the name “Donald Trump” aloud. Senator Chuck Grassley and Senator Joni Ernst on Saturday morning denounced Trump’s “offensive” remarks. On Saturday evening, neither mentioned Trump directly, however Ernst seemed to acknowledge the controversy by saying “it had been quite a day.”