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Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Saturday that women are welcome anywhere in the country if they’re against abortion.
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“I want every young woman to know there’s a place for you in America if you are pro-life, if you embrace your religion, and you follow a traditional family structure — that you can go anywhere, young lady,” he said at a campaign event.
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Graham was urging women to be more like newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who in the past has signaled her anti-abortion stances.
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Early in October, Graham made a similar suggestion, saying Black people are free to go and live in any part of South Carolina so long as they’re not liberal.
On the campaign trail Saturday night, Sen. Lindsey Graham said women are welcome anywhere in the country — provided that they’re anti-abortion.
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The Republican senator took the stage at a campaign event in Conway, South Carolina, his home state, and praised Amy Coney Barrett, the newly appointed Supreme Court justice.
“You know what I like about Judge Barrett? She’s got everything,” Graham said. “She’s not just wicked smart, she’s incredibly good. She embraces her faith.”
“I want every young woman to know there’s a place for you in America if you are pro-life, if you embrace your religion, and you follow a traditional family structure — that you can go anywhere, young lady,” he continued.
Throughout the confirmation process, Barrett has chosen to withhold details about her stance on abortion and reproductive rights. But in the past, Barrett’s actions have signaled she is against Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision granting abortion.
Barrett, for example, publicly backed an anti-abortion ad appearing in a South Bend, Indiana, newspaper in 2006. Additionally, more than 1,500 alums from Barrett’s alma mater, Rhodes College, signed a letter in October that argued Barrett would “seriously curtail” Roe v. Wade if nominated.
Women and LGBT activists are slamming his remarks, characterizing the parameters he listed as sexist and anti-LGBT.
Graham’s remarks come weeks after the senator made limiting characterizations about Black people.
On October 9, Graham said Black people are free to go and live in any part of the state, as long as they’re not liberal.
“I care about everybody,” Graham said, speaking at a forum for South Carolina Senate candidates. “If you’re a young African American, an immigrant, you can go anywhere in this state. You just need to be conservative, not liberal.”
Graham is fighting to keep his Senate seat against Jaime Harrison, a Black former state legislator who spoke at the forum just before him. For weeks, polls have shown either the two tied or one just slightly ahead of the other.
Graham has a marginal lead of 3 percentage points over Harrison, according to a poll conducted last week and posted on Real Clear Politics. Harrison, with 46% of support, trails Graham’s 49%.
The South Carolina senator did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment on his Saturday remarks about women.
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