During a debate, former President Trump highlighted the differences between the pro-life beliefs of Republicans and Democrats, specifically Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party. Trump argued that Democrats have been radical on the issue of abortion, while Republicans have sought to bring the issue back to the states, supporting the overturning of Roe v. Wade. He pointed to comments made by former Virginia Gov. Ralph S. Northam to support his claim that Democrats hold extreme views on the issue, accusing them of wanting to allow abortions into the ninth month of gestation and even after birth.
In response to a question from moderator Linsey Davis about his changing views on abortion, Trump criticized Democrats for their stance on the issue. He mistakenly referred to Northam as the previous governor of West Virginia, highlighting comments made by Northam in a 2019 interview about loosening abortion restrictions in Virginia. Northam had mentioned cases where severe deformities were present, stating that decisions regarding third-trimester abortions should be made by providers, physicians, and the parents involved. Trump seized on Northam’s comments to argue that Democrats are the true radicals on abortion, while Republicans have worked to return the issue to state legislatures for the people to decide.
During the debate, Trump emphasized that most Republicans support exceptions to abortion bans for cases involving the life of the mother or instances of rape or incest. He pointed to the success Republicans have had in returning abortion policy decisions to state legislatures, leading to red states passing lenient abortion policies through referendums. Trump argued that allowing states to determine their own abortion policies gives people the opportunity to vote on the strictness or leniency of those policies, rather than having national decisions imposed on them. However, Trump’s claims were met with skepticism from moderator Linsey Davis, who pushed back against the idea that any state in the country allows for babies to be killed after birth.
Critics of Davis’ response shared clips of Northam and Delegate Kathy Tran discussing late-term abortion policies in Virginia, aiming to debunk her retort and support Trump’s argument. Heritage Foundation religion fellow Delano Squires and conservative commentator Rob Smith were among those who shared the video of Northam speaking about resuscitating and then discussing the options for an infant after birth in cases of severe deformities. This sharing of the video was a response to Davis’ claim during the debate, indicating a divide in opinions on the issue of late-term abortions and the views held by Republicans and Democrats.
