In keeping with his recent habit of discussing extremely serious topics during late-night comedy appearances, President Obama waded into the controversy over Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock’s declaration that pregnancy from rape is “something God intended to happen” on the Tonight Show. “I don’t know how these guys come up with these ideas,” Obama told Jay Leno. “Let me make a very simple proposition: Rape is rape. It is a crime.” The president used the Republican rape gaffe du jour to highlight his support for Planned Parenthood and upholding Roe v. Wade, adding, “This is exactly why you don’t want a bunch of politicians, mostly male, making decisions about women’s health care decisions.”
During the lengthy interview, Obama covered a wide range of topics, including voter identification laws, Hillary Clinton’s plans to leave the administration (“despite my begging”), and his disappointment that the debates are finally over (“I was just getting the hang of it!”).
The president also responded to a question about his ongoing feud with Donald Trump by making a birther joke about himself. If you’ve been down on yourself for even momentarily considering that Trump’s “very big” news could be anything more than an absurd self-promotional stunt, this should make up for it. See Obama out Trump as a fellow Kenyan and share his plot to woo Ohio voters with Halloween candy in the video below:
