Reaction from both sides to Moreno comment about women, abortion

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- There is backlash from across the country to a story brought to you by NBC 4 involving statements made by Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, who criticized suburban women for being “single-issue voters.” 

NBC 4 obtained cell phone video from a recent Warren County town hall meeting where Moreno said many suburban women only care about their ability to get an abortion, questioning why older women care about reproductive rights at all. 

The Moreno campaign said his comments were "tongue-in-cheek" sarcasm. 

“If I can’t have an abortion whenever I want in this country, then I will vote for anybody else,” Moreno said at the meeting. “Okay, a little crazy, by the way, but especially for women that are like past 50. I'm thinking to myself, ‘I don’t think that's an issue for you.” 

Watch: Brown, Haley respond to Moreno 'single-issue voter' comment on abortion

Reaction to the story was quick.  

Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley accused Moreno of being tone deaf, posting on X, “Are you trying to lose the election? Asking for a friend.” 

NBC 4’s Colleen Marshall was the first to report Moreno’s comments and got a reaction from his opponent, Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown. 

“The idea that he doesn't understand why women care so much about this, and maybe in some sense he was mocking them, I think, says a lot more about him, frankly, about him and his values,” Brown said. “I continue to be shocked that Bernie Moreno thinks he knows more, that he knows better than 57% of Ohioans who turned out to vote and said that we want constitutional right to abortion in our state." 

Brown stopped short of saying abortion will be the issue that decides the very close Senate race. 

Hear more from Brown, including reaction to the chaos in Springfield, this Sunday on The Spectrum.