JD Vance, a finalist for Trump's vice presidential running mate, faces criticism for past abortion comments.

This week, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, faced criticism for past abortion remarks as he is being considered as a potential running mate for former President Trump in 2024.

Vance, a former Trump critic who is now a staunch ally of the 45th president, faced criticism from Democrats during his 2022 U.S. Senate campaign for statements that were taken out of context by his Democratic opponent, Tim Ryan. This old story resurfaced this week on Drudge Report, a news aggregator that once supported but later turned against Trump.

In 2021, Vance defended a Texas law that prohibited most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. When questioned by Spectrum News in Columbus, Ohio, about whether he supported exceptions for rape and incest, he rejected the premise of the question and stated, "two wrongs don't make a right."

Vance stated that at the end of the day, the topic of discussion is an unborn baby. What kind of society do we want to create? One that views unborn babies as burdens to be eliminated? The question is not whether a woman should be compelled to give birth to a child, but rather whether a child should be permitted to survive, despite the difficulties and challenges that may arise due to their birth circumstances.

"Vance stated that the issue is about the baby, as women should have opportunities and choices, but ultimately, the right to life for women and young boys in the womb is paramount, according to the Washington Post."

In a 2022 Ohio Senate debate, Vance was accused by Ryan of stating that rape was merely an inconvenience.

"Ryan asked, 'J.D., did you really call rape 'inconvenient'?'"

Vance countered that he never characterized rape as "inconvenient" and asserted that Ryan was aware of this false claim. During the debate, he stated his pro-life stance with "reasonable exceptions," specifically mentioning the 15-week abortion ban proposed by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., which included exceptions for rape, incest, and the mother's life.

Ryan was framed by Vance as an extremist on abortion and for flip-flopping on the issue. Despite this, Vance won the race by six points. Since then, Vance has emerged as a top contender for Trump's vice presidential pick.

PolitiFact determined that Vance did not explicitly state that rape is inconvenient, but when asked about laws allowing abortions for rape or incest victims, he suggested that society should not view the resulting pregnancy or birth as inconvenient.

This week, a CNN fact-check found that President Biden's campaign had falsely represented Vance's past comments about the Heritage Foundation as an endorsement of "Project 2025," a controversial policy document that has been heavily criticized by the Left and includes a proposed national abortion ban.

In December, Vance stated that he supported exceptions for "life of the mother, for rape, and so forth."

Vance's recent abortion comments have made him more aligned with Trump's stance on abortion law being decided by individual states since the repeal of Roe v. Wade.

On "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Vance stated that Donald Trump is a pragmatic leader who believes that most abortion policy should be decided by the states. He emphasized the importance of making it easier and more affordable for young women and parents to have families.

This week, Vance stated his support for the Supreme Court's decision on the availability of mifepristone to Americans.

Vance's office declined comment when reached by Planet Chronicle Digital.