“Crush a Baby’s Skull” – Rick Scott Under Fire for Baseless Abortion Claims
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) is facing heavy criticism after a leaked video showed him making inflammatory and unsubstantiated remarks about abortion. In the secretly recorded video, which has since gone viral, Scott claimed that women and doctors would “crush” the skulls of babies just minutes before birth if abortion were legal at nine months. He further suggested that newborns would be left to starve to death immediately after birth.
In the video, Scott can be heard saying, “A baby that would be born healthy and alive at nine months, two minutes before, okay, it could be crushed and killed.” The video, which has accumulated over 400,000 views in just a few hours, was posted to social media by attorney and MeidasTouch editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski. The context and authenticity of the video have not been independently verified by NCRM, though Scott has made similar comments in the past.
Scott, the wealthiest senator in the U.S., is running for re-election in a tight race. The former Florida governor and attorney has a controversial history, including leading a hospital corporation that pleaded guilty to what was, at the time, the largest healthcare fraud case in U.S. history. Scott won his 2018 Senate race by just 10,033 votes, a margin of 0.12 percent.
In the video, Scott also falsely claimed that Democrats support allowing babies to be born and then starved to death. “All the Democrats have voted to say that a baby born healthy and alive can be allowed to be put in the corner and starved itself to death,” Scott can be heard saying. According to Filipkowski, the comments were reportedly made while he was speaking to a college class.
Scott has made similarly inflammatory remarks in previous interviews. In a May interview with Politico, he claimed that Democrats “want to crush a baby’s skull at nine months” and would allow healthy babies to be left to die after birth. Scott has also expressed support for a 15-week abortion ban.
Facing a close race against Democratic challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Scott’s position on abortion has made him vulnerable. Mucarsel-Powell recently called him “one of the most extreme senators” on abortion during an interview with MSNBC, adding, “Florida is in play.”
Scott’s comments have drawn condemnation from various figures, with former Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill calling his claims “shameful” and Salon’s Heather Digby Parton labeling them “demented.” Democratic strategist Laura Chapin went further, saying, “Abortion bans are absolutely rooted in hatred of women.” Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Laurie Garrett also weighed in, asking, “What psycho-horror movie alternate reality is this man living in?”
