Bernie Moreno Faces More “Backlash” For “Flippant” Comments Mocking Ohioans

COLUMBUS, OH – Bernie Moreno continues to face “backlash” for his “flippant” comments mocking Ohio women for wanting to make their own health care decisions.

In comments first reported by WCMH, Moreno said it was “a little crazy” for women to want the ability to make their own health care decisions. Moreno has said he is “100% pro-life with no exceptions” and “absolute pro-life, no exceptions” and would support a national abortion ban, overturning the will of Ohioans who voted overwhelmingly to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution just last year.

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WKYC: “Tonight, comments by Moreno about suburban women’s views on abortion are creating backlash… there is reaction from Democrats, but also from one notable Republican… It’s the video that’s leading to national criticism of GOP Senate hopeful Bernie Moreno speaking at a town hall last week in Warren County, he questioned why suburban women would be singularly focused on abortion.”

Bernie Moreno: “A lot of suburban women that are like ‘listen, abortion is it. If I can’t have an abortion in this country whenever I want, I will vote for anybody else.’ Ok, a little crazy, by the way. But, especially for women that are like past 50, I’m thinking to myself, I don’t think that’s an issue for you.”

WKYC: “… Bernie Moreno thinks he knows better than the 57% of Ohioans who made themselves clear on this issue, referring to the passage of last year’s Issue 1, enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution. Meanwhile, one prominent fellow Republican also weighed in, former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley posted on X: ‘Are you trying to lose the election? Asking for a friend.’”

WKYC: “Whether a joke or not, Moreno himself appeared to realize it might not have landed so well.”

Bernie Moreno: “Oh, thank God my wife didn’t hear that one.”

WKYC: “As for Moreno’s stance on abortion, despite his previous position in his 2022 Senate run, in which he supported no exceptions, his campaign says he currently supports a 15 week federal ban…”

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WFMJ: “Ohio’s Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Bernie Moreno is facing some backlash, including from one time GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, over a comment that he made about single issue abortion voters over the weekend. NBC News obtained the video captured during a Warren County town hall on Friday where Moreno accused suburban women of being focused solely on their ability to get an abortion.”

WFMJ: “In a post on X Haley saying, ‘Are you trying to lose the election?’”

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WJW: “Moreno facing some backlash for questioning why older women would cast their vote based on the abortion issue.”

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WRGT: “Ohio’s Republican candidate for U S Senate, Bernie Moreno [facing] pushback for his comments related to abortions. att town hall in Warren County on Friday. According to CBS News, Moreno says he doesn’t think abortion is, quote, an issue for women who are past 50, while claiming many suburban women are single issue voters on abortion.”

Wolf Blitzer, CNN: “[Moreno said] that women over 50 don’t need to care about reproductive rights. Nikki Haley tweeted this quote… ‘Are you trying to lose the election? Asking for a friend.’”

Ana Navarro, Political Strategist: “So it is very stupid, short sighted and offensive for somebody to think that because you reach a certain age, you stop caring. Because you no longer can have children, you stop caring.”

Scott Jennings, Republican Political Strategist: “I usually advise candidates, don’t be flippant and don’t be a pundit. I listened to the clip from Moreno. I think he was doing both… And so my advice would be to talk about all these issues with care and respect for everybody, and you’d be better off in the future.”

Kaitlan Collins, CNN: “[Bernie Moreno] is now facing scrutiny over comments that he made about women.”

Ohio Woman: “I mean, I don’t even know what to say, like, honestly, and I’m, you know, a mother, a daughter, sisters. I have a granddaughter. Of course, it matters to me.”

Toledo Blade: Ohio U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno calls focus on abortion rights ‘a little crazy’
Alice Momany – September 24, 2024

Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno is facing backlash after he questioned why women over 50 care about abortion access at a campaign stop last week.
“You know, the left has a lot of single-issue voters,” Mr. Moreno, 57, said at a town hall in Warren County. “Sadly, by the way, there’s a lot of suburban women … that are like, ‘Listen, abortion is it. If I can’t have an abortion in this country whenever I want, I will vote for anybody else.’”
“It’s a little crazy, by the way,” he continued. “But, especially for women that are like past 50, I’m thinking to myself, ‘I don’t think that’s an issue for you.’ Oh, thank God my wife didn’t hear that one.”
Even members of Mr. Moreno’s own party have criticized him for the comment. Nikki Haley, a former United Nations ambassador under former President Donald Trump and former GOP presidential candidate, took to the social media app X, formerly known as Twitter, to call the comment “tone deaf.”
“Bernie Moreno has once again shown us exactly who he is and that he thinks he knows better than the 57 percent of Ohioans who made themselves clear on this issue,” Mr. Brown, 71, said, referencing the state’s November ballot initiative that constitutionally protected one’s right to make reproductive decisions. “The people of Ohio think women should have the power to make their own health care decisions, Bernie Moreno thinks he should.”
“As a man over the age of 50, I care deeply about a woman’s right to make health care decisions for herself – for my daughters, my granddaughters, and all Ohio women, regardless of their age,” he added. “Despite the majority of Ohioans agreeing, Moreno has made it clear he would overturn the will of Ohioans by passing a national abortion ban.”
Mr. Moreno has been vocal on the campaign trail against access to abortion. During the primaries, Mr. Moreno said he supported a 15-week ban for abortions…

New York Times: Bernie Moreno Under Fire Over Comments About Suburban Women
Chris Cameron – September 24, 2024

Bernie Moreno, the Republican Senate candidate in Ohio, is facing criticism over demeaning remarks he made last week against women who support abortion rights, including from Nikki Haley, the former Republican presidential candidate and one of the most prominent women in her party.
Speaking on Friday at a town hall in Warren County, Ohio, Mr. Moreno characterized many suburban women as “single-issue voters” on abortion rights, suggesting that older women should not care about abortion because they were too old to have children.
“It’s a little crazy, by the way — especially for women that are like past 50,” Mr. Moreno said, drawing laughter from the crowd. “I’m thinking to myself: I don’t think that’s an issue for you.”
In a social media post on Tuesday morning quoting Mr. Moreno’s remarks, Ms. Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, addressed the Senate candidate: “Are you trying to lose the election? Asking for a friend.”

Washington Post: Republicans keep coming up with new ways to insult women
Karen Tumulty – September 24, 2024

At a town hall last week in conservative Warren County, Moreno expressed mystification that suburban women could be so focused on the issue of abortion, adding that it was “a little crazy” for older women to care about reproductive rights at all.
Here’s what he said, according to a video obtained by the NBC affiliate in Columbus: “Sadly, by the way, there’s a lot of suburban women, a lot of suburban women that are like, ‘Listen, abortion is it. If I can’t have an abortion in this country whenever I want, I will vote for anybody else.’ … Okay, it’s a little crazy, by the way, but — especially for women that are like past 50 — I’m thinking to myself, ‘I don’t think that’s an issue for you.’”
Has he considered that older women may have daughters or granddaughters whose rights they are concerned about? Or that, even if they don’t, they might be distressed to see that a constitutional protection that has existed for most if not all of their own lives has been stripped away?
And did he happen to notice that close to 57 percent of voters in his own state (which suggests there were some men in there, too) last year passed a ballot measure adding to their constitution language that guarantees the right to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions,” including abortion, contraception, fertility treatment and miscarriage care?

CBS News: Ohio’s GOP Senate candidate Bernie Moreno says abortion isn’t “an issue” for women “past 50”
Kathryn Watson – September 24, 2024

The Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Ohio says he doesn’t think abortion is “an issue” for women who are “past 50,” while suggesting that many suburban women are single-issue voters on abortion, according to video footage obtained by local station WCMH-TV from a town hall Friday.
“You know, the left has a lot of single issue voters,” Moreno says in the video. “Sadly, by the way, there’s a lot of suburban women, a lot of suburban women that are like, ‘Listen, abortion is it. If I can’t have an abortion in this country whenever I want, I will vote for anybody else.’ OK. It’s a little crazy, by the way, but — especially for women that are like past 50, I’m thinking to myself, ‘I don’t think that’s an issue for you.'”
Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley took to X, formerly known as Twitter, asking: “Are you trying to lose the election?” Haley suggested his words were “tone deaf”…
Last year, nearly 57% of Ohioans voted to amend the state’s constitution to protect the right to abortion and reproductive freedom…
“You know what’s crazy… Bernie Moreno thinking he knows better than 57% of Ohioans who voted to protect abortion rights last year,” Sen. Brown posted on “X.”

The Statehouse News Bureau: Moreno’s comments on women and abortion called “disrespectful”; campaign says it was a “joke”
Jo Ingles – September 24, 2024

Comments from Ohio’s Republican candidate for U.S. Senate are being blasted by critics, though his campaign has said they were “a tongue-in-cheek joke”.
“You know, the left has a lot of ‘single issue’ voters. Sadly, by the way, there’s a lot of suburban woman, a lot of suburban women that are like, ‘listen, abortion is it. If I can’t have an abortion in this country whenever I want, I will vote for anybody else,’” Moreno said. “Ok. A little crazy by the way. But, especially for women that are like past 50, I’m thinking to myself, ‘I don’t think that’s an issue for you.’”
As some in the crowd laughed, Moreno added, “Oh, thank God my wife didn’t hear that one.”
“It’s disrespectful and it shows that he just doesn’t understand this issue,” Beene said.
Incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown shared Moreno’s comments on social media, writing: “You know what’s crazy… Bernie Moreno thinking he knows better than 57% of Ohioans who voted to protect abortion rights last year.”

The Daily Beast: Male GOP Senate Candidate: Women’s Focus on Abortion Is ‘a Little Crazy’
Mini Racker – September 24, 2024

Bernie Moreno is running in one of the country’s most competitive Senate races.
Ohio’s Republican Senate nominee thinks it’s “a little crazy” how much women care about abortion rights.
“You know, the left has a lot of single-issue voters,” Bernie Moreno said at a town hall on Friday, according to a video obtained by Columbus TV station WCMH. “Sadly, by the way, there’s a lot of suburban women, a lot of suburban women that are like, ‘Listen, abortion is it. If I can’t have an abortion in this country whenever I want, I will vote for anybody else.’”
“It’s a little crazy, by the way,” he continued. “But—especially for women that are like past 50—I’m thinking to myself, ‘I don’t think that’s an issue for you.’”
And in Ohio, where voters last year enshrined abortion access in the state constitution, reproductive rights could be a deciding issue.
“Are you trying to lose the election?” former presidential candidate Nikki Haley asked in a post on X responding to Moreno’s remarks. “Asking for a friend.”

Jezebel: Ohio GOP Senate Candidate Calls Women ‘Crazy’ for Caring About Abortion
Kylie Cheung – September 24, 2024

At a town hall last week, the Republican businessman running to oust incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown called women voters who care about abortion rights “a little crazy” in a series of head-spinning remarks…
“You know, the left has a lot of single issue voters. Sadly, by the way, there’s a lot of suburban women that are like, ‘Listen, abortion is it. If I can’t have an abortion in this country whenever I want, I will vote for anybody else,’” Moreno said. “It’s a little crazy by the way, but—especially for women that are like past 50—I’m thinking to myself, ‘I don’t think that’s an issue for you.’”
First, abortion isn’t a “single issue”: we’re watching abortion bans upend the entire health system in real time, push people deeper into poverty, and going bankrupt to travel out-of-state for the procedure. Second, even if forced pregnancy and birth were a single issue, it would be pretty fair to be a “single issue voter” for that. And third, just a little campaign advice, you should probably avoid using the word “crazy” to describe women voters who will likely decide the outcome of your race.
This isn’t even Moreno’s first time making horrifically stupid comments about abortion. In February, he suggested with a straight face that abortion rights aren’t necessary because women like his daughter just need help carrying heavy strollers. And earlier this month, he claimed outright that the abortion rights ballot measure that won in Ohio last year was only victorious thanks to cheating.

Talking Points Memo: Moreno Was Gifted A Race Without Abortion Front And Center — Until He Chose To Change That
Kate Riga – September 24, 2024

It was a gamble when abortion rights groups in Ohio pushed to get an initiative protecting the procedure on the ballot in 2023, rather than waiting for the high-octane 2024 presidential cycle… We don’t have to engage in such thought exercises after Friday, when Moreno was filmed dismissing suburban women’s focus on abortion rights at a town hall (the local NBC affiliate first published the footage Monday):
“You know, the left has a lot of single issue voters,” Moreno said. “Sadly, by the way, there’s a lot of suburban women, a lot of suburban women that are like, ‘Listen, abortion is it. If I can’t have an abortion in this country whenever I want, I will vote for anybody else.’ … Okay. It’s a little crazy by the way, but — especially for women that are like past 50 — I’m thinking to myself, ‘I don’t think that’s an issue for you.’”
“Bernie Moreno thinks it’s ‘crazy’ that women want to make their own healthcare decisions,” read a post on Brown’s Twitter page…

NBC: Ohio GOP Senate candidate says ‘a lot of suburban women’ are ‘single-issue voters’ on abortion
Emma Barnett – September 24, 2024

Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno is facing a wave of criticism over his remarks about suburban women and abortion heading into the homestretch of the competitive race.
“You know, the left has a lot of single-issue voters,” Moreno said. “Sadly, by the way, there’s a lot of suburban women, a lot of suburban women that are like, ‘Listen, abortion is it. If I can’t have an abortion in this country whenever I want, I will vote for anybody else.’ … OK. It’s a little crazy, by the way, but — especially for women that are, like, past 50 — I’m thinking to myself, ‘I don’t think that’s an issue for you.’”
Brown, who faces a tough re-election fight, responded in a statement, “The people of Ohio think women should have the power to make their own health care decisions, Bernie Moreno thinks he should.“
“As a man over the age of 50, I care deeply about a woman’s right to make health care decisions for herself — for my daughters, my granddaughters, and all Ohio women, regardless of their age,” he added.
Even some Republicans joined the chorus of Democrats criticizing Moreno.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley wrote on X: “Are you trying to lose the election? Asking for a friend. #Tonedeaf #DonLemonVibes.”
Maura Gillespie, who was an aide to former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, called the comment “moronic.”
“I feel as though I’m a broken record, but a woman’s worth is not tied to her womb. And to talk about abortion as if it’s just about one single thing — it’s women’s health,” she said on CNN.
“I think that Republicans will continue to lose on this issue if they undermine women,” she added.

The Independent: Nikki Haley skewers GOP candidate questioning why women over 50 care about abortion: ‘Are you trying to lose’
Ariana Baio – September 24, 2024

Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley gave some biting feedback to a GOP Senate candidate who questioned why women voters over the age of 50 care about the issue of abortion, suggesting it would cause him to lose support.
Bernie Moreno, a candidate in Ohio who made headlines with a shiny Trump endorsement, told a group of voters during a town hall last week that “a lot of suburban women” are “single-issue voters” on abortion.
“It’s a little crazy by the way, but especially for women that are like past 50. I’m thinking to myself, I don’t think that’s an issue for you,” Moreno said, according to a video obtained by NBC4.
“Are you trying to lose the election? Asking for a friend,” Haley wrote, including the hashtags #Tonedeaf and #DonLemonVibes.

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Bernie Moreno Faces More “Backlash” For “Flippant” Comments Mocking Ohioans

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