Rep. Jordan Hammers Cecile Richards: If the Videos Were Edited, Why Did You Apologize?

[RUSH TRANSCRIPT]

JORDAN: “Ms. Richards, if the videos were selectively edited, heavily edited, if this was entrapment, if this was all untrue, then why did you apologize?”

RICHARDS: “Well, congressman, first, I think everyone has agreed they were heavily edited and that – certainly I think even --“ [Crosstalk]

JORDAN: “My question is: why did you apologize?“

RICHARDS: “The perpetrator has agreed they were done undercover. I spoke with Dr. Nucatola who is featured in one of the videos and I thought it was important in my opinion -- in my opinion, it was inappropriate to have a clinical discussion of a non-confidential, nonclinical setting. And I told her that.”

JORDAN: “What were you apologizing for?”

RICHARDS: “That she used I think, in my judgment, it was bad judgment to have a clinical discussion in a nonclinical setting.”

JORDAN: “The first video comes out July 14th. Two days later you go and issue an apology. And you said this: ‘It’s unacceptable. I personally apologize for the tone and statements.”

RICHARDS: “That’s what I felt like –“

JORDAN: “No. Here’s the question. What statements were you a apologizing for?”

RICHARDS: “It was really the -- the situation that she was in. I believe that --” [Crosstalk]

JORDAN: “Ms. Richards, that’s not what you said. You said ‘I apologize for statements’. I would like to know and I think the American people like to know which statements in the video were you apologizing for? Were you apologizing for statements that are untrue? If something is untrue and false, you don’t apologize for that. You correct the record. But that’s not what you said. You said ‘I personally apologize for the tone and statements.’ And I’m asking you a simple question. There was only one video at the time you issued this statement. When you did the video, there was only one video. I want to know which statements were you apologizing for?”

RICHARDS: “Congressman, at the time as you, I’m sure remember, that video was released. We have had no time to actually evaluate how much editing had happened. It was days later.”

JORDAN: “Which statements in that video were you a apologizing for?”

RICHARDS: “I was reflecting that on that video, not any particular statement. It did not reflect the compassionate care we provide.”