Top Democrats drew backlash Wednesday when they attempted to dispute Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ claim that the party supports abortion at any point during pregnancy.
During the Republican primary debate, DeSantis defended signing a bill in April that bans abortion in Florida after the sixth week of gestation.
“I believe in a culture of life. I was proud to sign the Heartbeat Bill,” DeSantis said during the debate. “I remember one of the most impactful moments of my life was when I heard the heartbeat of my oldest daughter in my wife’s womb and then saw the sonograms of all three of my kids. What the Democrats are trying to do on this issue is wrong: to allow abortion all the way up to the moment of birth.”
Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki and former Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken elicited fiery responses when they shared tweets arguing that “no one” supports abortion up through birth.
Ron DeSantis: I Was “Proud” to Sign Heartbeat Law Saving Babies From Abortion https://t.co/lTPbWhwOGN pic.twitter.com/bDtrJn5ZqB
— LifeNews.com (@LifeNewsHQ) August 24, 2023
“I’m old enough to remember when Democrat Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam advocated for abortion,” wrote Ashley St. Clair of the Babylon Bee.
I’m old enough to remember when Democrat Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam advocated for abortion during/after birth https://t.co/dmK2Uiu1ZG pic.twitter.com/pyuYn7tpwO
— Ashley St. Clair (@stclairashley) August 24, 2023
“What level of abortion restriction do you and the Democrat Party of Minnesota support?” conservative political commentator Ryan Girdusky asked in response to Franken’s tweet.
What level of abortion restriction do you and the Democrat Party of Minnesota support? https://t.co/ocJfenpWoj
— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) August 24, 2023
“This guy used to be a Senator from Minnesota, which earlier this year passed a law to legalize abortions until birth and repeal their state’s law requiring babies born alive in botched abortions to receive medical care,” Greg Price of the State Freedom Caucus Network tweeted. (RELATED: First GOP Debate Sees Unlikely Winners As Trump Sits Down With Tucker)
This guy used to be a Senator from Minnesota, which earlier this year passed a law to legalize abortions until birth and repeal their state’s law requiring babies born alive in botched abortions to receive medical care. https://t.co/vUiVejQIu1
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 24, 2023
Claudia Conway, the 18-year-old progressive activist and daughter of former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, responded to a similar debate-stage remark from South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. “tim scott: we cannot let states like california, new york, and illinois allow abortions on demand up to the ‘date of birth’ […] 91% of all abortions happen in the first trimester. 98.7% of abortions are performed within the first 20 weeks. almost all of the remaining abortions are performed for the mother’s sake and because the fetus is not viable. read a book,” she posted.
“So you should have no objection to this obviously reasonable restriction on abortion,” pro-DeSantis author Chad Felix Greene tweeted in response.
Studies show that a significant proportion of late-term abortions are performed for purely elective purposes, not due to concerns about fetal viability or maternal health.
Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene pointed out that during the last Congress, Democratic former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “passed a bill twice” that would “make it a federal law to allow for abortion up until birth – 9 months.” The Women’s Health Protection Act, which failed to pass the Senate in February and May, would have legalized abortion to the point of fetal viability and at any point beyond viability if “in the good-faith medical judgment of the treating health care provider, continuation of the pregnancy would pose a risk to the pregnant patient’s life or health.”
The bill did not define what level of risk to maternal health would justify a late-term abortion. Many abortion advocates argue that every pregnancy poses a significant health risk and that, therefore, elective abortion should be available at any stage of pregnancy.
Last Congress, Nancy Pelosi passed a bill twice on the House floor that would make it a federal law to allow for abortion up until birth – 9 months.
Every Democrat except one voted for it. https://t.co/B21c3qIYnz
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) August 24, 2023