The GOP contingent in the current Texas congressional delegation is certainly an interesting bunch of dim bulbs. And one of the dimmest is Blake Farenthold, who has served in Congress since getting elected in the 2010 anti-Obama wave. It’s amazing that Farenthold is still willing to be interviewed on television, as he always manages to make himself look like an ignorant ass. And he did it again on Tuesday night when he joined MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on All In.
One Republican office holder after another has jumped off the sinking ship of Trump in recent days in hopes of saving their own careers. Farenthold, however, has held firm. But how firm is his support? That’s what Hayes wanted to find out.
First, Hayes asks about whether Farenthold would consider talk about rape to be “locker room talk.” The congressman replies that it would depend on the context.
After Farenthold indicates he didn’t like Trump’s remarks on the now infamous video, Hayes asks him this hypothetical question:
“If a tape came out with Donald Trump saying that – if a tape came out with Donald Trump saying that, saying ‘I really like to rape women,’ you would continue to endorse him.”
That’s a perfect example of a “softball” question. But the cherub-faced congressman seemed to struggle with it. He replies,
“Again, it would — that would be bad, and I would have to consider – I’d consider it.”
And, of course, from there he tries to change the conversation to Hillary Clinton.
“But again, we’re talking about what Donald Trump said 10 years ago as opposed to what Hillary Clinton has done in the past two or three years.”
Later on Tuesday, someone must have pointed out to Farenthold that he needed to back away from his comment. He issued a series of three tweets in which he said that he certainly didn’t condone violence against women, then he took the standard Republican approach — he blamed the whole incident on Hayes.
I apologize for my failure to immediately condemn anyone who would say something as outrageous as they like raping women. (1/3)
— Blake Farenthold (@farenthold) October 12, 2016
During an interview on MSNBC with Chris Hayes tonight, I was thrown off by the anchor’s use of a hypothetical question. (2/3)
— Blake Farenthold (@farenthold) October 12, 2016
I do not, and have not ever condoned rape or violence against women. That is not the kind of man I believe Donald Trump to be. (3/3)
— Blake Farenthold (@farenthold) October 12, 2016
The last tweet is interesting. Congressman, that is exactly the kind of man Donald Trump is, and he has told you himself. What about that don’t you understand?
Here’s the video, via MSNBC/Twitter:
.@farenthold on if he’d revoke support for Trump if he said “I like raping women” — “It’d be bad…I’d consider it” https://t.co/jWCZ1YERYl
— All In w/Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) October 12, 2016
Featured image via screen capture
