Former Rep. Todd “Legitimate Rape” Akin Dies At 74

The Associated Press reports:

Former U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, a conservative Missouri Republican whose comment that women’s bodies have a way of avoiding pregnancies in cases of “legitimate rape” sunk his bid for the U.S. Senate and became a cautionary tale for other GOP candidates, died late Sunday. He was 74. Akin had cancer for several years, his son, Perry, said in a statement.

Akin, a strong abortion opponent, was asked by a St. Louis television station whether he supported allowing abortions for women who have been raped. He answered that “from what I understand from doctors” that such pregnancies are “really rare.” He added: “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

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Former Republican U.S. Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri died late Sunday at age 74. He sunk his 2012 bid for Senate with a comment about “legitimate rape.” https://t.co/QLFi9ZDc5Q

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 4, 2021