Idaho Gov. Otter stands by Trump, ‘the best candidate’ for president

BOISE – Idaho Gov. Butch Otter, who with First Lady Lori Otter is serving as honorary co-chair of the Donald Trump presidential campaign in Idaho, said Tuesday he’s standing by Trump, despite the release of a video in which Trump boasted of sexually assaulting women.

“I accept his apology and his contrition at face value,” Otter, a third-term Republican governor, said in a statement. While calling Trump’s comments about women in the 2005 video “unacceptable and unfortunate,” Otter said, “My continuing support for Mr. Trump’s candidacy is solely focused on ensuring that the best candidate is elected president of the United States.”

It was Otter’s first public comment since the video came out over the weekend. On Saturday, Idaho GOP Sen. Mike Crapo withdrew his endorsement of Trump, and 2nd District GOP Rep. Mike Simpson decried Trump’s remarks and said he’d never endorsed him and certainly wouldn’t now.

While Idaho GOP Sen. Jim Risch remained mum, 1st District GOP Rep. Raul Labrador also issued a statement Tuesday saying he’d continue to support Trump for president.

“Despite his many flaws, Donald Trump represents the best chance to change the way Washington works,” Labrador said. While saying he found Trump’s statements about women “indefensible,” Labrador said, “Right now Hillary Clinton is a greater threat to our national well-being than Donald Trump.”

Labrador’s Democratic challenger, Boise attorney James Piotrowski, said, “By supporting Trump, Raul Labrador is continuing to put ideology over morality. Donald Trump is unfit to serve as president and Raul Labrador should have the moral fortitude to say so.”