A Democratic challenger was accused of spousal abuse. MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle, however, is exasperated with the Republican in the race

Greg P. | 9:32 PM on September 21, 2018

Incumbent GOP Rep. Ralph Norman is under fire for joking that “Ruth Bader Ginsburg came out saying she was groped by Abraham Lincoln”:

VIDEO: SC GOP congressman Ralph Norman: "Did y’all hear this latest late-breaking news on the Kavanaugh hearings? Ruth Bader Ginsburg came out saying she was groped by Abraham Lincoln.”https://t.co/1akMK2V75c

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) September 20, 2018

Dem challenger Archie Parnell pounced on the joke, saying “my opponent apparently thinks sexual assault is a joke”:

My opponent apparently thinks sexual assault is a joke. It is not. But I guess that’s the best we can expect from someone who pulled a loaded gun on his own constituents. https://t.co/1RBvMn6zIw

— Archie Parnell (@Archie4Congress) September 20, 2018

Um, maybe sit this one as Parnell’s ex-wife accused him of spousal abuse in divorce proceedings:

Perhaps we should have a debate about your own abuse and harassment of women, Parnell. https://t.co/UcurMekavo

— Ralph Norman (@RalphNorman) September 20, 2018

Parnell never denied the accusations, by the way:

Can't say I didn't see this coming. This is a problem for Democrats in #SC05. They're running a candidate who actually has physically abused a woman, making it difficult to offer a viable alternative to Norman's remarks. #SouthCarolina https://t.co/X0hnSHSad5

— Meg Kinnard (@MegKinnardAP) September 20, 2018

More from the Post and Courier:

In October 1973, Archie Parnell, then a University of South Carolina student, was locked out of some friends’ apartment to protect Kathleen Parnell, who was staying there. At 2 a.m., Archie Parnell used a tire iron to break a glass door, the complaint said. He made more unspecified accusations to Kathleen Parnell before striking her several times. She said she was beaten again later that evening.

After the “acts of physical cruelty,” Kathleen Parnell said she feared for her life and did not want to stay married. She obtained a restraining order against Archie Parnell after seeking the divorce, according to court documents. The divorce was finalized in early 1974.

Confronted with the court records by aides last week, Parnell did not deny the allegations. But even as his staff fled the campaign en masse, he refused to drop out of the race Monday.

Now, this brings us to MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle who had this reaction to the Norman joke:

Hat tip to @SRuhle for the priceless reaction to Ralph Norman's RBG/Lincoln riff. This is why I love you so. ? pic.twitter.com/pYsQWxoSAW

— Leigh Morgan (@leigh_35) September 21, 2018

We eagerly await a similar GIF-worthy facial reaction when she finally figures out that it’s the Dem in the race who is the monster toward women.

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MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell weighs in on Kavanaugh-Ford, trips head-first over Joy Reid https://t.co/MOTHhud2Hj

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 19, 2018