Mr. Sparkes said he was buying three items. Mr. Sparkes, who denied being racist and said he was Cuban, acknowledged that he had called Ms. Thomas “lazy,” but said that had been the “worst” of his comments. “This woman, Ms. Thomas, is playing the victim for political purposes because she is a state legislator,” he told the station. “I’m a Democrat and will vote Democrat for the rest of my life, so call me whatever you want to believe. “People can’t just go out in public areas and berate pregnant women,” Ms. Thomas said.

Source: New York Times July 21, 2019 18:56 UTC