So it looks like Donald Trump hasn't really gotten away from his hot mic fiasco.
Despite showing a defiant stance against Hillary Clinton during the second Presidential debate, Trump's poll ratings fell further weeks before the November 8 elections. The Republican Presidential candidate registered 38% as against Clinton's 52%, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.
Trump's lewd comments, which were caught on a hot mic back in 2005, sparked controversy within the Republican Party. The real estate mogul boasted about his sexual escapades with women, infamously quipping that he can "grab" women "by the p---y" because "when you're a star they let you do it."
Republican figureheads were understandably outraged at Trump's remarks, with the likes of Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice having expressed that they'll no longer support the Republican standard-bearer.
More prominently, House Speaker Paul Ryan told his fellow Republican lawmakers that he'll no longer campaign for, or defend Trump in the days leading to the elections. Several other party members went as far as to call on Trump to withdraw and pass on the ticket to Mike Pence, his vice-presidential candidate.
Calls for Trump to withdraw from the race came in droves as fears that his remarks caught on tape would inevitably jeopardize the electoral campaigns of other Republicans across the country. Nonetheless, he carried on during the second Presidential debate and went all-out offensive against Clinton.
Trump did publish a rare apology for his hot mic remarks on Saturday midnight - a move that's typically unexpected from his oft-brash behavior. Yet, he continued to launch abrasive attacks during the debate, even going as far as threatening Clinton with jail time once he's elected.
Even just hours before the debate started, Trump held a bizarre press conference with women who claimed to have been sexually harassed by Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton. The event was streamed via Facebook Live, with each of the four women pledging their support for the Republican.
WATCH: Donald Trump caught on hot mic making lewd comments against women
