Mitt Romney on Monday stopped short of calling for Rep. Todd Akin to resign his bid for the U.S. Senate, as several other Republicans have done, but said the Missouri congressman should take 24 hours to think through things for his family and country.
Romney spokesman Rick Gorka told reporters the presumed GOP nominee made the comments in an interview with New Hampshire radio station WMUR that will air later today. He said Romney called Akin's comments on rape indefensible.
Earlier, Romney said Akin’s recent comments were “inexcusable” in a phone interview with National Review Online on Monday morning, and called for the congressman to correct his statement.
“Congressman Akin’s comments on rape are insulting, inexcusable, and, frankly, wrong,” Romney said. “Like millions of other Americans, we found them to be offensive.”
The Republican Senate candidate from Missouri claimed on Sunday that in cases of “legitimate rape,” a woman’s body will block an unwanted pregnancy.
The comments set off a severe backlash as both Republicans and Democrats condemned the comments. Akin’s Democratic challenger, Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, lambasted the remarks as “jaw-dropping and stunning”, while Romney and Rep. Paul Ryan released a statement saying the pair would “not oppose abortion in instances of rape.”
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