Pataki: Planned Parenthood Videos Show 'Disregard for Humanity'

The series of undercover sting videos that has been released in recent weeks about Planned Parenthood are "horrific" and the activities that are shown in them display a "callous disregard for humanity," George Pataki said Friday.

"I don't think they should be funded by the federal government," the GOP presidential candidate, a former three-term New York governor, told CNN's "New Day" program.  "I think we should take the funds and provide women's healthcare services through other organizations."

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Pataki told the program that he is the only candidate in the wide slate of Republicans seeking the GOP nomination that is not saying "let's not try to repeal Roe v. Wade," but still he doesn't think the government should send tax dollars to organizations that perform abortions.

Further, he denied that if Planned Parenthood is defunded, women will be left without birth control and other health services options.

"There are alternative systems," Pataki said. "I think Planned Parenthood, after the horrific videos, should not be funded by tax dollars."

Also, Pataki said that while he most likely won't hit the prime-time GOP debate next week, he's excited about appearing in the second debate being planned for those not in the top tier, and plans to show that none of the other candidates in the wide field of potential nominees can match his background.

"When I look at myself and the rest of the field, it's a great field," Pataki said. "But none of them have my background; I'm the New York guy."

And he acknowledged that people have an image of politicians from his state, but pointed out that he grew up on a farm and still has a farm.

"I'm the guy that went to Yale, but I worked in a factory and know what it's like to [on] Friday afternoon worry about getting a layoff slip," Pataki said. "I am a conservative governor in a blue state."

And he thinks he can win if people pay attention to his message, and even if he is low on the polls, it's still very early in the race.

"If you look at history, the summer of the year before does not predict who the nominee is going to be," said Pataki. "I have been out of politics for eight years, I think it's a plus. In another way, people don't remember me."

Commenting about Donald Trump, who remains at the top of the polls, Pataki said that on one hand, the real estate mogul has tapped in to a "strong anti-Washington sentiment," but on the other, "when you go out and demonize an entire class of people, it disqualifies you.

"We don't need someone that is going to divide us. We had that with Barack Obama. That's what Hillary Clinton is going to run on."

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