Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) had a meltdown when he was asked why he has pivoted away from states’ rights and proposed a national abortion ban.
Video of Lindsey Graham:
[embedded content]
Graham said on Fox News Sunday:
Number one if you know anything about me Shannon for 20 years I’ve been supporting federal legislation banning late-term abortions but you said there are states to make these decisions. The states, here’s what Dobbs says elected officials can make the decision state or federal. I’m not inconsistent in 2020. I had a bill on the floor of the United States Senate right across the Capitol that banned abortion at 20 weeks because the baby can feel pain. I had 51 republicans voting with me and two Democrats to suggest that I’m new to the game opposing late-term uh abortion is ridiculous.
No one’s excited listen I was the author of the unborn victims of violence act that made it a crime to hurt a baby if you attacked the mother you’d be charged with two crimes if you attack a mother and you hurt the baby it passed 72 votes in the United States Senate I never suggested there’s no place for the unborn in Washington, DC. if you tell the pro-life movement that we’re out of business in the nation’s Capitol that we can’t set some minimum national standard to prevent Chinese abortion policy in Maryland or California they’ll be a revolt by the pro-life community the people with me.
What am I saying I will not sit on the sidelines and watch this nation become China when it comes to boarding babies up to the moment of birth I reject that I will continue to introduce legislation at the national level setting a minimum standard. Okay at 15 weeks no abortion except for life rape uh save the life of the mother, rape, incest.
Graham’s message essentially was that he is going to continue to hurt the Republican Party on abortion because he thinks that it is good politics. His abortion ban bill might be good politics for him in South Carolina and other red state Republicans, but what he did in the rest of the country was give Democrats a weapon to use against House and Senate Republican candidates across the nation.
There is nothing quite like an old, entitled, white man dictating to the women of the United States that they have no right to make their own personal healthcare decisions.
Sen. Graham is missing the whole point of the political dynamic that he has created against his party, and he will see the results of his handiwork on Election Day.
Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association