Mitt Romney has officially responded to the controversial remarks he made in a secretly recorded video, CNN reports.

Romney took three questions at a hastily scheduled press conference with pool reporters held late Monday night to address the release of a secretly recorded video of Romney speaking at private fund-raiser in May.

In the video, Romney argued that nearly half of Americans will vote for President Barack Obama due to their reliance on government support.

"There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what," Romney said at one point in the video. "There are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent on government, who believe that, that they are victims, who believe that government has the responsibility to care for them. Who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing.”

At the press conference, Romney stated his comments were “off the cuff” and “not elegantly stated,” but were meant to illustrate the difference between the two campaigns.

"We have a very different approach - the president and I - between a government-dominated society and a society driven by free people pursuing their dreams," said Romney.

Obama’s campaign was quick to jump on the video, calling Romney’s comments “shocking.”

"It's shocking that a candidate for President of the United States would go behind closed doors and declare to a group of wealthy donors that half the American people view themselves as 'victims,' entitled to handouts, and are unwilling to take 'personal responsibility' for their lives,” said Obama campaign manager Jim Messina in a statement.

Obama's own secret-camera moment came in 2008, when he was recorded at a private fund-raiser saying that some voters, “stick to their guns and religion” and a media frenzy ensued.

Read the full article here.