Carly Fiorina: Planned Parenthood Claims Presidential Hopeful Is ‘Lying’
The dispute between Carly Fiorina and Planned Parenthood is nothing new. However, the organization is now accusing the presidential hopeful of blatantly lying to prove a point.
During last week’s Republican debate, Fiorina discussed a disturbing video that was reportedly filmed at a Planned Parenthood facility.
As reported by MSNBC, the GOP candidate claims the video clearly displays “a fully formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking.” She further claims a Planned Parenthood employee said the fetus was being kept “alive to harvest its brain.”
Carly Fiorina’s description of the Planned Parenthood video is indeed disturbing. However, it is unclear whether the video actually exists.
As reported by Washington Post, the presidential hopeful may have been referring to a highly controversial film which was published by The Center for Medical Progress.
A participant in the film describes an incident similar to the one Fiorina described during the debate. Although a small portion of the participant’s interview is overlaid with a photo of a fetus, the film does not contain any video footage of an actual abortion.
Following the debate, Carly Fiorina defended her recollection of the Planned Parenthood video. Although she did not produce a copy of the film, the GOP candidate insists it does exist.
The presidential hopeful justified her prior statements during an interview on Fox News Sunday.
“I’ve seen the footage. And I find it amazing, actually, that all these supposed fact-checkers in the mainstream media claim this doesn’t exist. They’re trying to attack the authenticity of the videotape.”
The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform later claimed they provided Carly Fiorina with the Planned Parenthood video she referenced during the debate. A representative with the pro-life organization said they are “in the process of retrieving the original video.”
As reported by KansasCity.com, Planned Parenthood has denied all claims that the video even exists. In an official statement, Planned Parenthood spokesman Eric Ferrero said “Carly Fiorina is lying… there is no video showing anything like what she claims. It’s just totally false, no matter how many times she repeats it.”
A native of Austin, Texas, Fiorina holds the distinction as the first female CEO of a Fortune 100 company.
As reported by Biography, the GOP candidate announced her bid for the 2016 presidential nomination in May 2015. She remains the only female candidate within the Republican Party.
Although her initial numbers were low, Fiorina “delivered a strong performance” during the September 16 Republican debate. However, her criticism of Planned Parenthood has become a point of heated controversy.
It is unclear whether Carly Fiorina misunderstood the Planned Parenthood video released by The Center for Medical Progress or had an opportunity to view footage not yet released to the public. Regardless, she is standing behind the statements she made during last week’s debate.
[Image via Sean Rayford/Getty Images]
