Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said on Tuesday that he will not sign a law putting a “heartbeat” abortion law in place if he were to become president.
Christie made the remarks in an interview on “CNN This Morning.”
“I would not sign a six-week national abortion ban,” Christie said in the interview with host Phil Mattingly.
“The reason I wouldn’t is because we fought for 50 years and we had this conversation a little bit before,” he continued, adding that Americans “fought 50 years to put this [abortion] in the hands of the people, to say the federal government, in that case, the Supreme Court, had taken it out of the hands of the people and given them no choice.”
Christie added that “there is no consensus around a six-week abortion ban, nationally.”
Christie remarks came in response to his opponent, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s stance on abortion.
Townhall previously reported how Haley has called for “consensus” on the issue of abortion. During the first GOP 2024 presidential debate, Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence butted heads on the issue.
When asked about her stance on abortion, Haley argued that she is “unapologetically pro-life” but that Republicans need to be “realistic” and “honest with the American people.”
“It will take 60 Senate votes, it will take a majority of the House,” she said, noting that there has not been that many pro-life elected officials in years. She then called for “consensus” on the issue, specifically, banning third-trimester abortions.
“Can't we all agree that we should ban late-term abortions?" she stated. "Can't we all agree that we should encourage adoptions? Can't we all agree that doctors and nurses who don't believe in abortion shouldn't have to perform them? Can't we all agree that contraception should be available? And, can't we all agree that we are not going to put a woman in jail or give her the death penalty if she gets an abortion?”
In response, Pence said that “consensus is not leadership” on the issue of abortion.
"To be honest with you, Nikki, you're my friend, but consensus is the opposite of leadership," Pence said. "They didn't just send it to the states only. It's not a states-only issue, it's a moral issue."