Dave Yost on Casting Doubt on the Story of a 10-Year-Old Rape Victim: “I Don’t Understand What You Think I Need to Apologize For”
September 23, 2022
Watch a Video of the Exchange HERE
Columbus, OH — This week, Dave Yost sat down with Karen Kasler for an interview on The State of Ohio. When asked about his despicable stunt of going on national television to cast doubt on the story of a ten-year-old rape victim, Yost only doubled down, smugly telling Kasler, “I don’t understand what you think I need to apologize for.”
A judge in Hamilton County earlier this month said that Dave Yost should apologize for his disgusting comments and Ohio Democrats have called on Yost to resign. Yost, mere hours after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, went to court to implement Ohio’s extreme six-week abortion ban that forced this young victim to have to travel to Indiana for an abortion in the first place.
“Dave Yost asked what he needs to apologize for. That’s quite a list, but at the top of it is questioning the story of a 10-year-old rape victim on national television and implementing the law that forced her to flee to Indiana for critical healthcare in the first place. Yost’s initial comments were disgusting and the fact that he continues to double down is despicable. These latest comments from Yost are a good reminder of why we’re calling on him to resign,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Matt Keyes.
Read the full transcript of the exchange below and find the full video of the interview HERE:
KASLER: I have to start by asking you about a story that Democrats, including the judge hearing the case involving Ohio’s six week abortion ban in Hamilton County, were saying that you should apologize for–the case of the 10-year-old rape victim who went to Indiana to get an abortion. To quote you for an appearance on Fox News quote, “Every day that goes by the more likely that this is a fabrication. I know the cops and prosecutors in the state. There’s not one of them that wouldn’t be turning over every rock looking for this guy and they would have charged him. I’m not saying it could not have happened. What I’m saying to you is there’s not – there is not a damn scintilla of evidence.” And you said shame on the Indianapolis paper who ran the story and you said they had an obvious ax to grind. There was an arrest in the case. You said quote, “We rejoice anytime a child rapist is taken off the streets,” but you did not apologize. Why didn’t you apologize?
YOST: Karen, I don’t understand what it is you think I need to apologize for. What in that was untrue or inaccurate at the time it said it. By the way, you conflated two separate interviews.
KASLER: Well, yeah, there was a Fox News interview and then there was the statement that you made afterwards, true. But the [YOST: The following day] impression is that you denied the existence of this 10-year-old girl when there are 10-year-old rape victims and as a prosecutor, you certainly know that.
YOST: Of course, I know that. The quote you just read didn’t say that nor did anything else in that interview. Which I brought, helpfully, a transcript for you. Nothing in here was untrue. Nothing in here- we didn’t even know the identity, and still don’t, of that poor victim. So you’re asking me to apologize for saying what was true when I said it? Respectfully, that’s not very fair. And you’re misreading my comments.
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