McConnell Challenger Bevin: The Founding Fathers Were 'Very Involved' In Cockfighting

DANIEL STRAUSS – APRIL 3, 2014, 6:36 PM EDT

Kentucky Republican Senate candidate Matt Bevin continued to address his presence at a rally for supporters of legalizing cockfighting by saying America's Founding Fathers were very involved in the cockfighting world too.

"But it's interesting when you look at cockfighting and dogfighting as well," Bevin said in an interview on the Terry Meiners Show on Louisville's WHAS on Thursday. "This isn't something new, it wasn't invented in Kentucky for example. I mean the Founding Fathers were all many of them very involved in this and always have been (sic.)"

The comments come less than a week after Bevin attended the rally. He's since said that he thought the rally was actually for supporters of states' rights. Bevin's presence there has also provoked the Humane Society Legislative Fund to call for Bevin, who is challenging Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), to withdraw from the Republican Senate primary.

In the same interview Bevin said he's never "been to a cockfight" and doesn't "condone" cockfighting. "I'm going to defend the right of people to freely gather and discuss whatever they want to," Bevin said. "I'm a believer in the Constitution and in the First Amendment," Bevin also said. "Not just for raising money but also for freedom of speech."