Matt Gaetz doubles down on claim that only unattractive women are worried about abortion rights: ‘Be offended’
Florida lawmaker branded pro-choice activists ‘ugly on the inside and out’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Matt Gaetz has doubled down on his claim that only unattractive women are concerned about abortion rights.
The Florida lawmaker first made the controversial remarks to more than 5,000 young people at the right-wing Turning Point USA Student Action Summit.
And Mr Gaetz, who is reportedly under federal investigation over allegations he sex trafficked an underage girl, refused to apologise on Monday.
He was asked by a reporter from WEAR-TV, if he believed that women who attended pro-abortion rallies were “ugly and overweight”, to which he replied “yes”.
And he was then asked what he had to say to people who were offended by those comments.
“Be offended,” the congressman said.
“I find these people who go out on these pro-abortion and pro-murder rallies odious and just ugly on the inside and out and I make no apology for it,” he told the station.
Matt Gaetz claims migrants are creating US food shortage by destroying monarch butterfly habitats
Matt Gaetz says women who ‘look like a thumb’ shouldn’t worry about abortion access in misogynistic speech- Matt Gaetz claims active shooter alert bill designed to make people ‘hate’ Second Amendment rights
At the Turning Point event in Tampa over the weekend, Mr Gaetz shared similar thoughts with the crowd.
“Why is it that the women with the least likelihood of getting pregnant are the ones most worried about having abortions?” Mr Gaetz said.
“Nobody wants to impregnate you if you look like a thumb.”
And he added: “They’re like 5’2, 350 pounds and they’re like ‘give me my abortions or I’ll get up and march and protest’ and I’m thinking: ‘March? You look like you got ankles weaker than the legal reasoning behind Roe vs Wade.’
“A few of them need to get up and march. They need to get up and march for like an hour a day, swing those arms, get the blood pumping, maybe mix in a salad.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments