Saying that he understood the attacker could have believed she was raped is not the same as admitting to rape. The intial intercourse was consensual - but with today's rape laws, that doesn't seem to matter. To some folks, if a woman declares sex to be a rape, it's a rape, the facts be damned.
He didn't go on national tv to say that. I am referring to his first press conference with his wife where he admitted having sexual relations with that girl. Till then, he was the glowing portrait of the good family man that never went out to parties with the other guys, always staying in his hotel room alone. At least one part of the image was right ...