“If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down”

Republican Congressman Todd Akin, currently the GOP nominee running for Senate against incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, justified his absolute opposition to abortion (no exceptions for rape) by claiming that the victims of “legitimate rape” have biological mechanisms in place to reject and prevent pregnancy.

“If an abortion can be considered in the case of a tubal pregnancy [where the mother’s life is threatened],” said host Charles Jaco, “what about in the case of rape? Should it be legal or not?”

“First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare,” Akin said about pregnancy from rape. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”