This week, Mississippi state Rep. Robert Foster, who is running for governor, blocked a female reporter from shadowing his campaign unless she was accompanied by a man. He said that he was invoking the “Billy Graham Rule,” refusing to be alone with women to protect the sanctity of his marriage — a practice also famously followed by Vice President Mike Pence.

Faced with criticism, Foster doubled down on his decision on Wednesday, characterizing it as an expression of his Christian faith:

As I anticipated, the liberal left lost their minds over the fact I choose not to be alone with another woman. They can’t believe, that even in 2019, someone still values their relationship with their wife and upholds their Christian Faith. #msgov #mselex

— Robert Foster (@RobertFoster4MS) July 10, 2019

Social media, however, was not impressed with Foster’s unapologetic discrimination against women, and Twitter quickly buried him in scorn:

https://twitter.com/davequast/status/1149010732417204225?s=21

Right? And what about elevators? Does he have to get off the elevator if he’s alone and a (gasp!) woman gets on? Ridiculous. What a child.

— texaslawgirl (@texaslawgirl) July 10, 2019

From his anger and tone, I'm guessing he probably assaulted or otherwise hurt some woman in the past and he knows he can't control himself and will hurt another in the future. Likely an abuser. He should confess his crimes.

— BruceDC (@Bruce35dc) July 10, 2019

https://twitter.com/yovimpamaggie/status/1149036753199616000?s=21

The article I read said this is a campaign tour. Wouldn’t his campaign manager and other staff be there, too?

— Laura Gelezunas (@LauraGelezunas) July 10, 2019

Mississippi needs a lot of things, but (yet another) governor who hates women is really not one of them.

— Mick O’Brien (@theobrien) July 10, 2019

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