South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) erupted in an interview on CNN this week over the Democrats’ position on third-trimester abortions.
In the interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, the senator discussed the Supreme Court’s recent decision allowing mifepristone, the medication abortion pill, to remain available. Previously, a federal judge in Texas had issued a ruling invalidating the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the pill.
“Let’s turn to the fight over abortion rights,” Bash said in the segment. “You’ve proposed legislation to ban abortion nationwide after 15 weeks with some exceptions. On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that mifepristone will continue to be accessible to Americans. Did the Court get that right?”
“What I think the Court’s going to do is send it back for a little more evaluation. But the issue is, was the drug lawfully approved? Did the FDA follow its own procedures? Are chemical abortions safe? So those issues will be decided by the Court,” Graham said, before adding that mailing the drugs through telemedicine abortions could be in violation of the Comstock Act.
“I’ll live with whatever decision they make,” Graham said.
Bash retorted that the Comstock Act is “a very old statute on the books.”
Later in the interview, Bash pressed Graham on his stance on abortion being a state issue, but also supporting federal legislation supporting restrictions on the procedure.
“I’ve been supporting limits on late-term abortions since 2015,” he answered. “Seventy percent of Americans support limiting abortion when the unborn child can feel pain. Fifty of 53 European nations limit abortions at 15 weeks or less.”
“But my question is, is it a federal issue or states?” Bash interjected.
“It’s a human rights issue. Does it really matter where you’re conceived? At 15 weeks you have a developed heart and lungs and to dismember a child at 15 weeks is a painful experience. It’s barbaric. It’s out of line with the rest of the civilized world. Only North Korea and China allow abortion on demand and up to the moment of birth except the Democratic Party. What the Democratic Party proposes on abortion is barbaric. Abortion up to the moment of birth, taxpayer-funded, I think is barbaric. I welcome this debate,” he said.
“For the record, Roe went up to viability,” Bash said. “I just want to button this up.”
“No no, quit covering for these guys. No, no no. You’re media. You keep covering for these guys. They introduced legislation that allowed abortion on demand with taxpayer funded…up to the moment of birth. That was their position in Washington. That’s the law they want to pass and nobody in your business will talk about it. It’s barbaric,” he stated.
“Senator, I’m not covering for anybody and you know that,” she claimed, adding that she asks every Democrat on the show how they feel about the issue.
“I welcome this debate,” Graham reiterated. “Should we be like China and North Korea when it comes to late term abortion?”
"I've heard you say both on [abortion] ... So, who's right here?"
— CNN (@CNN) April 23, 2023
CNN's Dana Bash presses Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) about his stance on whether restricting abortions is a state or federal government issue. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/Cp1h1YcMBP