President Barack Obama delivered a stinging rebuke to comedian Bill Cosby on Wednesday during a White House press conference that was otherwise focused on his Iran nuclear deal, saying of the date-rape drugging allegations dozens of women have lobbed at him: 'That's rape.'
He was asked whether the Presidential Medal of Freedom Cosby was awarded in 2002 would be taken away, and launched into a heartfelt but damning criticism.
'If you give a woman, or a man for that matter, without his or her knowledge, a drug and then have sex with that person without consent, that's rape,' the president said.
'And I think this country, any civilized country, should have no tolerance for rape.'
Obama punted on the Medal of Freedom question, saying that 'there’s no precedent for revoking a medal. We don't have that mechanism.'
'And as you know, I tend to make it a policy not to comment on the specifics of cases where there might still be, if not criminal, then civil issues involved.'
Court documents obtained by The Associated Press have revealed that Cosby admitted under oath that he obtained quaaludes to give to women with whom he wanted to have sex.
A sexual assault awareness group has petitioned the White House to revoke Cosby's medal.
On July 9 White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that 'it's never been done before.'
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