Far-left lawmaker stuns CNN host with answer when confronted over Hamas raping Israeli women — and even Dems are outraged

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) shocked Americans on Sunday by asserting that we must be "balanced" in our response to Hamas using rape as a weapon of war.

During an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," host Dana Bash confronted Jayapal over the fact that progressives have been "downright silent" on the atrocities that Hamas committed against Israeli women and girls in their Oct. 7 attack.

At first, Jayapal downplayed progressives' silence, which forced Bash to press harder.

The CNN anchor asked Jayapal if she has condemned Hamas specifically for what the terrorist group did to women. Jayapal claimed she has, and then she immediately tried to steer the conversation in a different direction, criticizing Israel and suggesting the country is guilty of committing war crimes.

"With respect, I was just asking about the women, and you turned it back to Israel. I'm asking you about Hamas," Bash shot back.

"I already answered your question, Dana," Jayapal snarked.

"I said it's horrific. I think that rape is horrific. Sexual assault is horrific. I think that it happens in war situations. Terrorist organizations like Hamas obviously are using these as tools," the progressive Democrat continued. "However, I think we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians."

After demanding that critics be "balanced," Jayapal again criticized Israel, relying on Hamas' unverifiable claims about civilian casualties.

"It's horrible, but you don't see Israeli soldiers raping Palestinian women," Bash fired back.

At no point in the interview did Jayapal specifically condemn Hamas' use of rape in their attack. The closest she came was her broad denouncement of sexual assault and her observation that Hamas uses it as a "tool."

Hear Jayapal's response after Bash says some have been silent about Hamas' use of sexual violencewww.youtube.com

Jayapal's comments predictably earned outage from conservatives. But, perhaps surprisingly, Democrats and media personalities also voiced alarm at Jayapal's remarks.

"Hamas terrorists raped Israeli women and girls. The only ‘balanced’ approach is to condemn sexual violence loudly, forcefully and without exceptions. Outrageous for anyone to 'both sides' sexual violence," Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) responded.

"I should not have to say this in 2023 but here we are: RAPE IS RAPE. Do not minimize, excuse, 'balance' or 'both sides' sexual assault — that is victim blaming we have spent decades trying to undo in the laws, the courts and the hearts and minds of the people," said Christine Pelosi, daughter of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

"This is beyond f***ed up. Every single one of these Democratic primaries of the ‘progressives’ is going to be justified," Jessica Tarlov, the resident liberal commentator at Fox News, reacted.

CNN anchor Bianna Golodryga said, "@RepJayapal, most wars don’t feature premeditated rape as part of the war plan. Individual acts of rape from lack of discipline, which tragically does occur in war, is different than 'preconceived and premeditated' rapes, which as one leading expert told me was Hamas’ plan."

Golodryga, moreover, pointed out that Jayapal has not released a statement that specifically condemns Hamas for their use of sexual violence on Oct. 7.

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