Video of Iowa GOP hopeful’s call to microchip immigrants surfaces

Republican candidate Pat Bertroche of Iowa’s Third Congressional District has taken lots of heat for publicly calling for microchips to be implanted into immigrants in the country illegally. Immigrant-rights activists in Iowa and around the nation were outraged, and Bertroche was even featured on Keith Olbermann’s MSNBC program as the “Worst Person in the World.”

Bertroche’s explanation for the statement was that it was meant as social commentary and that he never meant to suggest he advocates illegal immigrants be microchipped like dogs. He told The Des Moines Register it was supposed to be a joke to poke fun as radical ideas that are ruining a reasonable discussion of immigration policy.

“I ended my statement earlier than I should have,” he said.

Now, video of the comment has emerged. A YouTube user named “IA03RawFootage” uploaded the 26 seconds of comments that have gotten so much attention. There is no information about who owns the account, but all other uploads are of the seven GOP candidates running in the 3rd District primary.

Here is the video: