Former Rep. Joe Garcia (D-Fla.) apologized Tuesday for “poorly worded” comments he made over the weekend, when he said Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton “is under no illusions that you want to have sex with her.”
“My comments were intended to speak to Secretary Clinton’s relentless focus on getting the job done, despite the unjust gender stereotypes and biases women in public life are frequently subjected to,” Garcia said in a statement, according to CNN.
{mosads}Garcia, who is running to reclaim his old seat in a competitive House race, then praised the Democratic nominee and her ability to serve in the White House.
“Hillary Clinton is the most competent and qualified presidential candidate in the history of this country, man or woman,” he said in the statement.
“And I’m with her, because I’m confident she will be one of our country’s most effective leaders.”
Garcia made the comments when speaking Saturday at a campaign office in Key West. He attempted to draw comparisons between Clinton to former President Lyndon Johnson.
“I believe we’re about to see the most consequential presidency that we’ve seen since Lyndon Johnson,” Garcia said, according to footage of the event obtained by the Miami Herald.
“This is not because I think Hillary Clinton is the greatest ever. But I do believe she is extremely, exceedingly competent, and she — I know this is going to sound weird to you, but to me, as somebody who studies history, she’s going to be very similar to Lyndon Johnson,” he continued.
“Lyndon Johnson wasn’t a particularly charming man, wasn’t a particularly nice man: He would ask you nice, and then when you didn’t do it, he made you do it. And Hillary is under no illusions that you want to have sex with her, or that she’s going to seduce you, or out-think you.”