Angry Planned Parenthood Activists Hurl Condoms at Carly Fiorina
Pro-Planned Parenthood activists pelted Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina with condoms, she recalled in a heated abortion discussion on NBC's "Meet the Press."
At an Iowa football tailgate Saturday, Fiorina was confronted by Planned Parenthood supporters that are angered by her constant criticism of the organization in the wake of the release of controversial videos that have dogged the popular abortion provider.
An Fiorina, not backing down from the incident, immediately responded to the protestors while they continued shouting slogan that were heard in the background: "I wish they'd learn the facts instead of propaganda," declared Fiorina. "I think we're making a difference. That's my reaction. I think they're scared that the people of America are starting to look at what's really going on in a Planned Parenthood clinic. And, they can't deny what's going on so they shout slogans instead." The media asked the female GOP presidential candidate about her confrontation with one Planned Parenthood supporter in particular. "She came on and said she was concerned about women's health and as a cancer survivor I told her I was too," Fiorina said. "And, she said she was concerned about women's rights and I said I am too. "I said you ought to do a little fact-checking before you come out here and shout propaganda. One of the facts I asked her to examine was the millions of dollars Planned Parenthood gives Pro-Abort Democrats." Fiorina called the political relationship "a big shell game." On Sunday, Fiorina and NBC Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd got into a heated discussion over Fiorina's claims that Planned Parenthood kept a baby "alive to harvest its brain" during September's GOP debate. Todd asserted that the scene Fiorina described during the debate does not exist and asked her to acknowledge that she at least "exaggerated the scene." "That scene absolutely does exist. And that voice saying what I said they were saying, 'We're going to keep it alive to harvest its brain,' exists as well,'" Fiorina claimed. She addressed the protestors throwing condoms at her in Iowa on Saturday, saying, "I was protested yesterday by Planned Parenthood people who were throwing condoms at me. I don't know what that has to do with this." She called Planned Parenthood protestors a distraction from their profiting off of aborted baby tissue and organs, while claiming that pro-life and pro-choice Americans agree with her position when given the facts. Todd pushed back and claiming that even the Center for Medical Progress has said the footage Fiorina described it as "stock footage." "Do you think this is not happening? Does Hillary Clinton think this is not happening?" asked Fiorina. "So sad that you missed the opportunity to ask Mrs. Clinton why she said, 'Late-term abortions were only performed for medical purposes.' That is patently false. This is happening in America today. And taxpayers are paying for it. That is a fact. It is a reality. And no one can run away from it." Todd accused Fiorina of "ducking" the "specifics of the question" and cited a Washington Post report of Fiorina's falsehoods, to which Fiorina countered that the newspaper, in her words, incorrectly claimed she never worked as a secretary. Fiorina called on Republicans to stand up and fight to defund the over $500 million Planned Parenthood receives in taxpayer funding. "Taxpayers are funding this activity. And not only that, not only are taxpayers having to fund this butchery, but Planned Parenthood doles out millions of dollars every single election cycle to Democrat candidates," Fiorina asserted. "This is a political slush fund on top of being butchery that Americans, again, whether they're pro-life or pro-choice, cannot support."Get Our Latest News for FREE