GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis sparred with NBC News host Dasha Burns over abortion and the 2020 election during an interview Monday.
DeSantis, who signed a six-week abortion ban into law in April, told Burns that he would not support punishing women who violate abortion bans.
“Not at all,” DeSantis replied when Burns asked whether he supported punishing women who violate an abortion ban. “No, I don’t think this is an issue about the woman. I think a lot of these women, you know, are in very difficult circumstances. They don’t get any support from a lot of the fathers.”
DeSantis argued that the reason most women may be getting abortions is because of a lack of support. He noted that in Florida, that support has been provided time and time again.
“And a lot of them, the number one reason why women choose to have an abortion is because they’re not getting support and they feel abandoned,” he added. “Now, in Florida, we’ve provided support and we’ve put our money where our mouth is. But at the end of the day, you know, I would not support any penalties on a woman.”
Burns later pressed DeSantis on whether he would veto a federal abortion ban if he becomes president next year.
“So would you veto any sort of federal bill that tries to put a nationwide ban in place?” Burns asked.
“We will be a pro-life president and we will support pro-life policies,” DeSantis said. “I would not allow what a lot of the left wants to do, which is to override pro-life protections throughout the country all the way up, really, until the moment of birth in some instances, which I think is infanticide.”
“I’ve gotta push back on you on that,” Burns interjected, “because that’s a misrepresentation of what’s happening. I mean, 1.3% of abortions happen at 21 weeks [of pregnancy] or higher.”
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“But their view is, is that all the way up until that, there should not be any legal protections,” DeSantis fired back.
“There is no indication of Democrats pushing for that,” Burns responded.
.@NBCNews exclusive: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to @DashaBurns about abortion bans:
Burns: Would you veto any sort of federal bill that tries to put a nationwide ban in place?
DeSantis: We will be a pro-life President and we will support pro-life policies. pic.twitter.com/3qfWN4OrHm— TODAY (@TODAYshow) August 7, 2023
DeSantis is not the only Republican presidential candidate who has hesitated to say outright whether he would support a federal abortion ban. Former President Donald Trump — to date — has also not indicated whether he would support such a ban, as reported by The Hill.
Related: Nancy Pelosi Sees Abortion as Key to Democrat Victory in 2024
GOP presidential candidates Tim Scott and former Vice President Mike Pence have come out and expressed their support for a federal abortion ban if elected president in 2024.
