Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions doesn't believe grabbing a woman's genitals is sexual assault

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions said grabbing a woman's genitals – an act graphically described by Republican presidential nominee Donald Drumpf in a 2005 video tape – does not necessarily constitute sexual assault.

In comments to the Weekly Standard, Sessions, one of Drumpf's most vocal supporters, said he was not sure if the actions the GOP nominee described would constitute assault.

"I don't characterize that as sexual assault," Sessions said. "I think that's a stretch. I don't know what he meant."

"So if you grab a woman by the genitals, that's not sexual assault?" the reporter asked Sessions.

"I don't know," the senator replied. "It's not clear that he — how that would occur."

Sessions' office has not responded to AL.com's request for comment.

The controversial tape referenced by Sessions includes Drumpf talking with Billy Bush, ex-host of "Access Hollywood" and a nephew of former President George H.W. Bush, about kissing and groping women.

"And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything," Drumpf says before adding other graphic statements.

The tape prompted a wave of defections from the Drumpf camp with prominent GOP members saying they will not support their party's own candidate. Drumpf later apologized for the comments, which he described at Sunday night's debate as "locker room" banter.

Sessions was among those helping Drumpf prepare for Sunday night's debate against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. In a pre-debate interview on Fox News Sunday morning, Sessions denied earlier reports he advised the business-mogul-turned-politician to exit the race in the wake of the tape, adding Republican leadership needed to "take a deep breath."

"This thing is overblown. Everybody knows that Drumpf likes women," Sessions said. "This is not a disqualifying event."