The Boston Globe uncovered Mitt Romney's infamous 'binders full of women' — and they're literally three-ring binders

Mitt Romney had literal binders full of women.

(Image credit: iStock)

published 11 April 2017

Turns out, former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney wasn't speaking metaphorically when he mentioned his "binders full of women" during a 2012 presidential debate. Five years later, The Boston Globe has finally unearthed the binders Romney spoke of — and it turns out he really did have "two white three-ring binders (weighing in at an aggregate 15 pounds, 6 ounces)" that are "packed with nearly 200 cover letters and resumes, along with a few handwritten notations." The binders were sent to the former Massachusetts governor's transition team by a coalition of women's groups, and apparently several of the women in the binders actually did get hired.

Romney brought up the binders in response to a question about workplace inequality as proof he'd considered women for state jobs after he was elected governor. The awkwardly phrased answer sparked an onslaught of jokes and criticism at Romney's expense and was arguably key to Romney's opponent, former President Barack Obama, regaining momentum in the election.