Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took exception with comments from Donald Trump over the weekend about the law he signed to protect babies from abortion.
As LifeNews reported, in a weekend interview, Trump called a heartbeat law protecting babies from abortion a “terrible mistake.”
In a new interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, the former president denounced Florida’s heartbeat law protecting unborn children from abortion after six weeks when their heartbeat can be detected, calling it “a terrible thing” and “a terrible mistake.”
Responding to those comments, DeSantis said during a radio interview while campaigning in Iowa that he was “proud” to sign the heartbeat law.
“Donald Trump may think it’s terrible. I think protecting babies with heartbeats is noble and just and I’m proud to have signed the heartbeat bill in Florida and I know Iowa has similar legislation,” DeSantis said. “I don’t know how you can even make the claim that you’re somehow prolife if you’re criticizing states for enacting protections for babies that have heartbeats.”
The governor also condemned any potential deal with Congressional Democrats who support abortions up to birth:
DeSantis suggested Trump’s remarks are :a window” into how Trump’s 2024 campaign is diverting from the promises he made during the 2016 campaign. “And I think he’s changing in a way that is not consistent with the values of the people in Iowa,” DeSantis told Radio Iowa.
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“I’ve given him credit for his accomplishments, whether it’s the court appointments, whether it’s the Abraham Accords…the deregulation and I think he does deserve credit for that, but anytime he did a deal with Democrats whether it was on budget, whether it was on the criminal justice ‘First Step Act,’ they ended up taking him to the cleaners,” DeSantis said. “I think if he’s going into this saying he’s going to make the Democrats happy with respect to right to life, I think all pro-lifers should know that he’s preparing to sell you out.”
“Clearly, we’ll make the positive case for what we did as something that is appropriate and based on science and based on what is just,” DeSantis said.
During the interview, Trump also refused to commit to supporting a national law to at least protect babies from abortions starting at 15 weeks.
NBC’s Kristen Welker asked Trump: “If a federal ban landed on your desk, if you were reelected, would you sign it – at 15 weeks?”
“Are you talking about a complete ban?” Trump asked.
“A ban at 15 weeks,” Welker said.
“Well, people are starting to think of 15 weeks, it seems to be a number that people are talking about right now,” Trump said.
“Would you sign that?” Welker pressed.
“I would sit down with both sides and I’d negotiate something, and we’ll end up with peace on that issue for the first time in 52 years,” Trump said. “I’m not gonna say if I would or I wouldn’t.”
“I mean DeSantis would sign a five-week and six-week ban,” he added
“Would you support that?” Welker asked.
“I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake,” Trump said.
“But we’ll come up with a number, but at the same time, Democrats won’t be able to go out at six months, seven months, eight months and allow an abortion,” Trump replied.
He also said abortion could be addressed at the state or federal level.
“It could be state or it could be federal, I don’t frankly care,” the former US President asserted. “No, no. Let me just tell you what I’d do. I’m going to come together with all groups, and we’re going to have something that’s acceptable.”
Trump’s comments immediately drew criticism from pro-life advocates.
“Laws protecting the unborn are not a ‘terrible mistake,’” wrote Alliance Defending Freedom President Kristen Waggoner in response to Trump’s remark. “They are the hallmark of a just and moral society. Governors who protect life should be applauded, not attacked.”
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