Fox News host Megyn Kelly took failed Missouri GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin to task Monday night for his infamous claim that the female body could terminate a pregnancy in a case of “legitimate rape.”
Akin appeared on “The Kelly File” to promote his new book, “Firing Back,” in which he defends his original remarks on the grounds that stress can decrease fertility. Kelly challenged that defense, arguing there is no conclusive evidence tying the two together.
“But the thing that got people so upset was that you seemed to be putting the onus on rape victims, saying if yours was a legitimate rape, if you actually were raped, then your body will shut down the pregnancy,” Kelly said. “And if your body doesn’t shut down the pregnancy, then you are not the victim of rape.”
“I think you’re putting words in my mouth, I didn’t say that,” Akin responded.
“I’m just saying this is what people heard,” Kelly said.
“I think that’s what they heard, and that’s why we did the apology,” Akin said.
“See I get that, that’s why you did the apology, but you seem to be dialing it back now,” Kelly pressed.
Akin later said that he never meant to diminish women or the seriousness of rape as a crime in his comments.
“But you now acknowledge that a woman who is legitimately the victim of rape does not have a medical way of getting rid of — an emotional way of getting rid of the pregnancy,” Kelly said.
“No, I never believed that,” Akin said. “That wasn’t what I was trying to say, or I don’t think I did say that. But people perceived that, and that’s why we did the apology.”
Akin also accused Democrats of being hypocritical for vilifying him while defending the Clintons. He cited accusations of rape against former President Bill Clinton as well as Hillary Clinton’s defense of a child rapist during her law career.
“What’s worse, saying a few words, or actually having a long history of abusive behavior against women?” he told Kelly. “I think the Democratic Party is the one cheering the war on women.”
Watch below, courtesy of Fox News:
Further confirmation that Roger has instructed Fox staff to pivot back toward corporatist wing, away from T-party/social-conservative death spiral. Will be interesting to see if they can dial it back.
Akin is that uniquely Tea-Bagger combination of arrogance and ignorance that seems to endear him to them.
He KNOWS he is right, facts be-damned! (praise Jee-bus)
This whole Megan Kelly hard-ball is just the FOX News attempt to distance themselves from the Slavering-Monster they helped create (The Tea Party) and suck-up to the Corporatist Wing of the Republican Party, their true masters.
Actually, I think he’s instructed the FoxTox Blond Brigade to go after the easy targets like Akin (while giving Akin ample opportunity to revive old allegations against Bill) in a misguided attempt to create the appearance that Republicans actually give a damn about the wimmins issues like this whole rape thing the little dears seem to have their dizzy little heads in such a tizzy about. Given that Fox is overwhelmingly viewed by old white men, I’m not clear on how he thinks this will help in November.
“That’s why we did the apology.”
Is that the royal “we”? The editorial “we”? Or just another way to distance yourself from the comment you made?
I assume that if your statement had engendered the exact same response, the same level of outrage and horror, but had not precluded your election, you would be telling the people who objected to go fuck themselves. But because it cost you and the GOP a Senate seat you are filled, such as it is, with remorse.
Well, here’s a tip, bud: nobody’s buying this hollow apology. And you will live out your remaining days in shame and isolation. So, I guess, in the end, it all worked out just fine.
This idiot still thinks he can take the stink out of this poop!