Rick Santorum: ‘I Was Sickened’ By Josh Duggar Molestation Allegations

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Republican presidential candidate and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) said he was “sickened” by allegations that his former supporter Josh Duggar molested several underage girls as a teenager.

ABC News anchor George Stephanopolous asked Santorum for his reaction to the news about Duggar, who endorsed his 2012 presidential campaign, in an interview that aired Wednesday on “Good Morning America.”

“I was sickened by it. I was sickened by it,” Santorum said. “I pray for those girls in particular. To have gone through that is — just hard to think about.”

Tabloid magazine In Touch last week published a 2006 police report that showed Duggar was investigated for allegedly fondling five young girls while they were awake or sleeping. He was 14 at the time.

Duggar since issued a statement that said he “acted inexcusably” as a teenager, but didn’t directly address the offenses outlined in the report. He also resigned his position as the executive director of the Family Research Council’s lobbying shop.

The Christian, ultra-conservative, Duggar family, made famous by TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting,” had endorsed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) during the 2008 election cycle and backed him again this month when he announced his 2016 presidential bid.

Huckabee gave a strong defense of Josh Duggar the day after In Touch published the police report.

“Josh’s actions when he was an underage teen are as he described them himself, ‘inexcusable,’ but that doesn’t mean ‘unforgivable,'” Huckabee wrote in a Facebook post. “He and his family dealt with it and were honest and open about it with the victims and the authorities. No purpose whatsoever is served by those who are now trying to discredit Josh or his family by sensationalizing the story.”

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Notable Replies

  1. Oh Rick…if only we believed you. Your attitude towards women pretty much precludes ever actually being sickened by the actions of a fellow Christian so long as it’s towards girls or women.

  2. Just not sickened enough to actually suggest DOING something about it that didn’t involve blaming Obama.

  3. “I was sickened by it. I was sickened by it,” Santorum said. “I pray for those girls in particular. To have gone through that is — just hard to think about."

    Santorum has clearly done his research for the most acceptable answer - in the comments section on Mike Huckabees facebook page.

  4. Nah, I wouldn’t even go there. He may have chosen language that was a little exaggerated to appear o the right side of the issue, but I have no doubt he considers it abhorrent. He has a daughter of his own.

    Frankly, it’s not even really news. Wake me when he’s back to saying stupid shit, TPM…I could use a (very) short nap.

  5. That is the type of response that is appropriate. No excuses, no “God has forgiven, we are not supposed to judge” bullshit.

    The weird behavior of going after someone while they were sleeping, the cover-up by all parties involved and the hypocrisy and self-righteousness of the parents is also sickening. It would be nice if Santorum also mentioned that - but I doubt we’ll hear him express that.

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