Trump uses a Democrat's abortion remarks to demonstrate his own moderate stance on the issue.
In 2019, pediatrician and former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam made headlines with his comments about abortion.
In the Tuesday debate, Trump distinguished his and other Republicans' pro-life stance from that of Harris and the Democrats, while engaging in a heated exchange with moderator Linsey Davis.
Why should Americans trust Davis on the abortion issue when he has sometimes changed his stance on certain aspects of it?
Trump stated that Democrats have been "radical" on the issue of abortion, while Republicans have aimed to "bring the issue back to the states" by supporting the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Northam's comments, according to Trump, suggest that it is the Democrats, not the Republicans, who hold extreme views on the issue.
Trump claimed that the opposition party wants to permit abortions up to the ninth month of pregnancy and even after birth.
Trump said, "Look at [Northam], not the current governor who is doing an excellent job, but the governor before him, who said, ‘The baby will be born, and we will decide what to do with the baby.’ In other words, we’ll execute the baby."
In 2019, Northam was questioned by WTOP radio station in Washington, D.C., regarding a bill from Delegate Kathy Tran, D-Springfield, that relaxed Virginia's abortion restrictions.
In a committee hearing, Tran made a comment about a woman being allowed to have an abortion while in labor, and Northam was questioned to clarify his thoughts on the matter.
The decision to undergo third-trimester abortions should be made by providers, physicians, and the parents involved. These abortions are performed with the consent of the mother, as well as multiple physicians, and are done in cases where there may be severe deformities.
If a mother is in labor, the infant would be delivered and kept comfortable, Northam, who was also a pediatrician in Onancock, Va., added.
"If the mother and family wished for the infant to be resuscitated, a discussion would occur between the physicians and the mother."
In the debate, Trump argued that Northam's comments reveal the true "radicals" on the abortion issue, while Republicans have advocated for returning the issue to the states, allowing for local votes on the leniency or strictness of abortion policy.
Trump stated that the majority of Republicans back exceptions to abortion restrictions in cases of the mother's life being at risk, rape, or incest.
Several red states have passed lenient abortion policies despite Republicans' success in having abortion policy returned to state houses, as seen in referendums in Ohio and Kansas.
Trump stated that the vote in Ohio was somewhat liberal.
After Trump finished his response, Davis interjected and stated, "It is illegal to kill a baby after birth in any state in the country."
Delano Squires, a Heritage Foundation religion fellow, sarcastically captioned clips of both Tran and Northam speaking about the late-term abortion policy as "no one supports abortion in the ninth month."
Rob Smith, a conservative commentator, tweeted about their extremity.
Numerous individuals on X shared the same video of Northam speaking to WTOP in an effort to refute Davis' counterargument or bolster Trump's stance.
politics
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