A prominent anti-abortion group denounced Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for his campaign’s stance on the key issue, calling the Republican presidential candidate “unacceptable to the pro-life movement.”
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life Movement released the statement on Monday in response to comments from DeSantis over the weekend in which he failed to commit to enacting a nationwide abortion ban should he be elected president. The attack could come as a blow to DeSantis’s campaign, which is already undergoing a full reset after a lackluster first quarter.
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“A pro-life president has a duty to protect the lives of all Americans. He should be the National Defender of Life,” SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. “The American people have expressed a clear consensus for protecting babies in the womb at least by the point they can feel pain at 15 weeks, while allowing states to enact stronger protections. The pro-life movement and the American people deserve a president who will boldly advocate this consensus and will work to gather the votes necessary in Congress.”
In an interview with Megyn Kelly released over the weekend, DeSantis declined to say whether he would support a federal abortion ban. Instead, the Florida governor indicated such an issue would be better left to the individual states.
“I've been a pro-life governor, I'll be a pro-life president, and I will come down on the side of life,” DeSantis said. “I'm going to be a leader with the bully pulpit to help local communities and states advance the cause of life.”
“I think there is a federal interest, but I think the reality is that the country is divided on it,” he added. “In a federalist system, you have different opinions, and that stuff gets filtered out. But clearly, right now, you are gonna see different states go in different directions, and I understand that.”
The comments prompted pushback from some anti-abortion groups, which decried DeSantis for failing to commit to a key voter issue.
Abortion emerged as a crucial debate during the midterm elections after the Supreme Court reversal of Roe v. Wade, with Democrats often crediting the subject for their better-than-expected performance.
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Even a year later, abortion plays a major role in voter turnout, with Democrats hoping to seize on that messaging again to lead them to victory in 2024. Midterm exit polls showed a majority of voters (62%) believe abortion should be legal, a 7-point increase from 2020.
As a result, GOP presidential candidates are treading lightly on the issue by painting themselves as supporting restrictions but not going so far as to isolate moderate Republicans or independent voters.