Michigan candidate: “If rape is inevitable, you should just lie back and enjoy it”

A Michigan Republican said he tells his daughters to “lie back and enjoy it” if rape is inevitable in remarks that drew harsh backlash from party leaders Tuesday.

Robert “RJ” Regan, who is running for a state House seat, made the comments on a Sunday Facebook livestream hosted by a conservative group. Regan used the analogy while telling another participant that it was not too late to decertify the 2020 presidential election, saying he facetiously tells his daughters: “Well, if rape is inevitable, you should just lie back and enjoy it.”

He went on to compare his win in the Republican primary with the biblical tale of David and Goliath, noting that his opponents had more financial support.

Amber Harris, who is a Republican activist and fellow panelist, told Regan during the stream that his analogy was a “shameful comment.” She added, “Advice to your daughters: Don’t do that. Fight all the time.”

The Michigan Freedom Fund, a nonprofit conservative organization, released a statement calling Regan’s remarks “despicable & disqualifying.”

“I’m the mom of four young girls. Every day I teach them to stand up for themselves, to know what they’re worth, and to fight back against creeps like Regan,” Executive Director Tori Sachs said. “RJ Regan doesn’t belong anywhere near the state Capitol and that is why we endorsed and supported his opponent.”

State Republican Party Chairman Ron Weiser and Kent GOP Chairman Rob VerHeulen addressed “comments” made by Regan in a joint statement Tuesday but didn’t specify the exact remarks.

“Mr. Regan’s history of foolish, egregious and offensive comments, including his most recent one are simply beyond the pale,” Weiser said. “We are better than this as a party and I absolutely expect better than this of our candidates.”

The chair of the Michigan Progressive Women’s Caucus, state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky, a Democrat representing District 19, condemned Regan’s remarks Monday on Twitter.

“Having been in a situation where rape was inevitable, I can promise this man that there is nothing enjoyable about it,” Pohutsky said. “This man is disgusting and I’m hoping HD 74 doesn’t send him to Lansing. I don’t normally say this about people I could end up working with, but he’s horrid.”

Regan told MLive on Monday that he doesn’t want to equate a “stolen election” with rape and that his point was more about fighting back, “because nobody likes to be taken advantage of.”

“I’m getting pushback right now because I’m the only one saying we need to decertify the 2020 election. Everyone on that panel said it’s inevitable, let it die, it’s a dead issue, focus on 2022 moving forward,” Regan said. “And I’m like, ‘No, it’s not inevitable. You would never tell a daughter if it’s inevitable you should lie back and enjoy it, ever.’ That’s the context of that story.”