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Texas Representative Louie Gohmert Says Hillary Clinton Is 'Mentally Impaired'

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In a speech on Friday, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) called Hillary Clinton “mentally impaired” and implied she has “special needs.”

“You don’t make fun of people who are impaired, have special needs, and whether you like her or not, Hillary Clinton has made clear that she is mentally impaired and this is not somebody you should be making fun of,” Gohmert said.

“We need to be praying for Hillary Clinton, there’s special needs there, there’s mental impairment,” he told the audience at Voter Values Summit.

There is no evidence that Clinton has any sort of intellectual disability. Remarks like Gohmert’s, which use intellectual disabilities as an insult, are insensitive and hurt the 6.5 million Americans who live with an intellectual disability.

“This isn’t about politics, this is about perpetuating stereotypes about an already marginalized group of people,” said Marty Ford, senior executive officer of public policy for The Arc.

“It is hard to believe people can still be so thoughtless in their choice of words, not taking the time to weigh who they are really offending. Words are powerful and for people with disabilities, they can provide a painful reminder of all the verbal and physical abuse and discrimination they have faced for decades. We will continue to work to ensure that all people with disabilities receive the respect they demand and deserve.”

This isn’t the first time Gohmert has made comments about Clinton’s mental abilities. On Thursday, Gohmert commented on “Fox and Friends” implying Clinton’s brain was in a blender, remarks he has since apologized for.

h/t Huffington Post

Originally published: September 12, 2016
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