Blair Westover, who voted for Republicans George W. Bush and John McCain in previous elections, said she would be voting for Democrat Hillary Clinton this year though she disagrees with her on many issues.

“This isn’t just like another ‘gate’ or a scandal,” she said. “This is a presidential nominee advocating un-consensual sexual contact, in public to other people - and that’s not something that we should come to accept as part of the debate.”

Many protesters carried signs referring to Trump’s boast that he grabbed women “by the p***y” with impunity.

With just three weeks until Election Day, polls show Trump struggling with women voters following the release of the tape, which triggered a stream of allegations of sexual misconduct.

Women voters in 13 battleground states - where the election is likely to be decided - prefer Clinton over Trump by 15 points, according to the latest CBS News poll. Clinton led by only five points a month ago.

Trump has apologised for the crude remarks caught on tape, but also minimised them as “locker room talk.” His wife Melania also shrugged them off in a CNN interview, characterising them as “boy talk.”