Santorum denies equating bestiality and homosexuality

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum said Thursday that he did not compare homosexuality to having sex with animals in a 2003 interview.

In the now-infamous interview, an Associated Press reporter asked Santorum if he thought homosexuals should not have sex. He responded by saying that sodomy, adultery and polygamy all undermined the traditional family.

"In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality," he added. "That's not to pick on homosexuality. It's not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be. It is one thing."

When CNN anchor John King confronted him about the quote on Thursday, Santorum denied that it equated homosexuality with bestiality.

"Hold on a second, John," he said. "Read the quote. I said it's not. It is not. I didn't say it is. I said it's not. You know, I don't -- I'm trying to understand what you're trying to make the point. I said it's not those things. I didn't connect them. I specifically excluded them."

But that is not how many people, including Fox News host Shepard Smith, have interpreted his comments.

Watch video, courtesy of CNN, below: