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Senate candidate’s “legitimate rape” comment sparks Twitter outrage

If the Twitter reaction is any indication, Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) may have cost himself a Senate seat with his controversial comments about rape and pregnancy.

Photo of Lauren Rae Orsini

Lauren Rae Orsini

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It’s not often that a U.S. politician makes a comment so unsavory that even members of his own political party are hesitant to defend him. Such is the case with Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.), who made a statement about rape so controversial that it has everyone talking.

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On Sunday evening, the representative told reporter Charles Jaco of St. Louis’s FOX 2, “If it’s legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” The statement, which goes against modern scientific understandings of human biology, was broadcast on national TV.

It didn’t take long for the Twitter firestorm to start. We’ve recorded some of the highlights—and lowlights—below:

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The Daily Dot