A spokesman for Bernie Sanders has dismissed charges of sexism against Sanders supporter Killer Mike, an Atlanta-based rapper in Run the Jewels, as “gotcha” politics.

Speaking at a rally for the leftwing Democratic presidential candidate at Morehouse College in Atlanta on Tuesday, Killer Mike argued against Hillary Clinton’s candidacy in part by quoting the activist Jane Elliott as having told him: “Michael, a uterus doesn’t qualify you to be president of the United States.”

After a local reporter live-tweeted the line without the Elliott reference, the rapper was attacked on social media as sexist. That charge was amplified by the Clinton campaign, with senior communications adviser Karen Finney piling on on Twitter:

Based on her uterus? Must be ignoring @HillaryClinton lifetime of doing the work breaking down barriers for all. @KillerMike — Karen Finney (@finneyk) February 17, 2016

Sanders’ spokesman, Michael Briggs, said on Wednesday that Killer Mike, who has been campaigning widely for the senator, “doesn’t believe gender should be a reason to vote for or against someone”.



“That’s the point Mike was making when he quoted Jane Elliott, the internationally known educator,” said Briggs. “We need to get beyond the gotcha politics and get to the issues at the heart of the election.”

“I don’t and never will Hate or think less of women,” the rapper said in a tweet. “Sen. Nina Turner is my Next Great Political Champ but I’m sorry No HRC for me,” he added, referring to former Ohio state senator Nina Turner, who also spoke at the rally.

Killer Mike, aka Michael Render, and his supporters circulated transcripts of his speech to illustrate the context of his “uterus” remark:

FYI: That @KillerMike sound bite going around is pretty dishonest. Here’s the full context. Notice what’s missing. pic.twitter.com/nRR9jXcKAX — Jonathan McIntosh (@radicalbytes) February 17, 2016

There’s video, too:

@KillerMike here’s the clip of your full quote in context to quiet the haters pic.twitter.com/W63tyqNA1y — tonx (@tonx) February 17, 2016

The full speech is here. Elliott herself defended the rapper in an interview with the Huffington Post, saying, “it’s a ridiculous thing to be upset about”:

I sincerely see this woman as one of my greatest teachers. Thank U #JaneElliot pic.twitter.com/l6MbWFrOZk — Killer Mike (@KillerMike) February 17, 2016

But others who took up the discussion, including former Guardian US columnist Jill Filipovic and others, said the context did not excuse the statement.

C'mon guys. You know "Killer Mike was just quoting a feminist!" is not an excuse. Remember when Trump "quoted" someone calling Cruz a pussy? — Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) February 17, 2016

Filipovic compared the controversy to recent consternation in Democratic circles at comments feminist icon Gloria Steinem and former secretary of state Madeleine Albright made about young women who support Sanders.

Albright warned there was a “special place in hell” for women who don’t support other women, and Steinem suggested that young women supporting Sanders were in it for the boys. Both later apologized.