While state Rep. John Rogers drew widespread criticism for his comments about abortion recently, he’s not backing down and even said U.S. Sen. Doug Jones is in agreement with him.
During an interview on the “Matt & Aunie” show on Talk 99.5, Rogers said he stands by his remarks that you either kill unwanted children “now or kill them later.”
"I said it, and I stand by it, and I can defend my stance," he said. "And I was explaining the fact that they wanted to know why Alabama is pro-birth and not pro-life."
The jarring remarks were publicly condemned by fellow Democrat U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, who called him about the comments.
While Alabama news reports about the conversation included a section where Jones told Rogers to apologize, absent was the fact that Rogers said Jones (who was his lawyer) actually agreed with him but, politically, had to come out against him.
The rhetoric of Rep. John Rogers gets more appalling each time he speaks. He does not speak for the people of Alabama and is in fact offending all Alabamians with his crude and reprehensible comments. https://t.co/ZLI8e83Z2d
— Doug Jones (@DougJones) May 2, 2019
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has the transcript:
HOST: Tell me a little about that conversation with Doug Jones.
REP. ROGERS: Well, he called me twice. He told me, “Doug, John, I know you’re right but I got to come out against you.” I said, “Okay.” I said, “Fine, if it’s going to help your campaign, do that.”
...HOST: This is my take away so far, that a sitting United States Senator called you and said that they agreed with you, but politically he had to step out publicly against you.
ROGERS: Yeah. Right.
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Listen below:
Details of "Kill ’em now or kill ’em later” AL Rep. Rodgers' phone call with @DougJones
— Nathan Brand (@NathanBrandWA) May 6, 2019
"He called me twice. He told me, “Doug, John, I know you’re right but I got to come out against you.” I said, “Okay.” I said, “Fine, if it’s going to help your campaign, do that.”
Listen ?? pic.twitter.com/sB03ugkwrn
During the interview, the one thing Rogers did apologize for was saying Donald Trump Jr. is "proof that mothers ought to have the right to have an abortion because he is evidently retarded or crazy."
UPDATE: Rogers has announced he challenge Jones in the 2020 Democrat primary.
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