Missouri State Sen. Mike Moon (R) defended child marriage on April 11, and claimed he knew 12 year olds who had gotten married and are still wed, reports Business Insider.
Moon defended child marriage after Democratic state Rep. Peter Meredith noted that Moon refused to ban child marriage in 2018: “You voted ‘no’ on making it illegal for kids to be married to adults at the age of 12 if their parents consented to it,” Meredith told Moon. “You said actually that should be the law because it’s the parents’ right and the kid’s right to decide what’s best for them. To be raped by an adult.”
Moon proudly defended child marriage with his bizarre claim:
Do you know any kids who have been married at age 12?… I do. And guess what? They’re still married.
Moon double-downed on child marriage on Twitter:
The Springfield News-Leader reported that Moon has a history of supporting child marriage with parental consent.Something that is often missing is the back story. With regard to my answer, I did not discuss the details: a 12 year old impregnated a minor of similar age. With consent of the parents, they married… and are still married today.
— Mike Moon (@realmikemoon) April 12, 2023
(Source: Twitter, Springfield News-Leader, Business Insider, Image: Mike Moon/Twitter)