Pence denies overturning Roe cost GOP the midterms as Republicans scramble for new messaging
Former vice president and 2024 GOP presidential primary contender Mike Pence told Newsmax anchor Rob Schmitt on Thursday that he is confident that a total ban on abortion nationwide is a reasonable possibility if he is elected to the White House.
"Finally, on the right to life, you know, the former president," Pence said of Donald Trump, "almost everybody else on that stage with me in that first presidential debate wants to relegate the right to life to a states-only issue. Well for me, the right to life's not a state issue. It's a moral issue, and as president of the United States, I'll be a champion for the right to life in the Oval Office."
Schmitt expressed skepticism.
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"I’m glad you brought that up," Schmitt responded. "Are you worried about the ability to win, though? Are you worried about the ability to get the moderates in if you go hard on abortion? I think what Trump is trying to play here is, 'Let's take somewhat of a victory. We're pulling back Roe, which was barbaric. We're getting it back to at least something sensible, something like the European model we've seen in other countries like that, but we're not going to go so far as to abandon the middle and lose in 2024.'"
Pence replied, "Yeah, look, I actually believe that standing for the right to life's more important than politics."
Schmitt queried, "But if you can't win, how do you enforce it?"
Pence asserted, "Look, the former president actually suggested that we lost elections in the midterms because we overturned Roe v. Wade. I don't believe that for a second. I think when you stand on the right to life, and you stand with principle and compassion, and demonstrate a willingness to put our arms, not just around the unborn, but around newborns around women in crisis pregnancies, we can continue to win hearts and minds."
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Pence's remarks came shortly before NBC News exclusively reported that "Republican strategists are exploring a shift away from 'pro-life' messaging on abortion after consistent Election Day losses for the GOP when reproductive rights were on the ballot."
NBC explains, "At a closed-door meeting of Senate Republicans this week, the head of a super PAC closely aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, (R-Kentucky), presented poll results that suggested voters are reacting differently to commonly used terms like 'pro-life' and 'pro-choice' in the wake of last year’s Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, said several senators who were in the room."
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