Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D-CA) comments on late-term abortions during Thursday's debate with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) represent the latest problems the GOP faces around a topic that has simultaneously galvanized its base while costing the party key electoral races since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022.
When pressed by Fox News host Sean Hannity during the red- vs. blue-state debate, Newsom pushed back against the often-used retort that Democrats favor abortion without any limits.
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"On the issue of the extreme exception that you highlight as it relates to the issue of later-term abortion, it's almost always because of a fetal anomaly, the life of the mother," Newsom told Hannity. "And in those rare cases, I trust and answer your question. I trust the mother and her doctor to make that decision."
Newsom refused to show support for any legal limit on abortion, even in the final months of pregnancy, while trying to paint DeSantis as being extreme by backing a six-week abortion restriction in Florida.
"Ron DeSantis signed the most extreme anti-abortion bills in America. He signed a bill banning any exceptions for rape and incest. And then he said it didn't go far enough and decided to sign a six-week ban," Newsom said. "Before women even know they're pregnant, Ron, before women can even access a doctor's appointment. So extreme is your ban that criminalizes women and criminalizes doctors that even Donald Trump said it was too extreme."
Conservatives in favor of limiting abortion have consistently pushed back against claims that late-term abortions are rare, citing medical experts, and they wasted no time fact-checking Newsom's abortion assertions.
Jeanne Mancini, the president of March for Life, said that "pro-abortion politicians and activists" who refuse to support any limits on abortion before birth "are forced to deny elective late-term abortions happen at all."
"But the CDC acknowledges that approximately 10,000 abortions at 21 weeks or later occur annually in the United States and more than 50,000 occur after 15 weeks when there’s evidence that unborn children feel pain," Mancini said in a statement to the Washington Examiner, adding that "these gruesome procedures should be limited."
A 2019 Kaiser Health News report found that although abortions at or after 21 weeks were uncommon, the reasons for pregnancy termination included fetal anomalies, maternal life endangerment, and barriers or lack of information that caused delays in obtaining an abortion. A 2013 article in the Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health journal cited several reasons women obtain late-term abortions, including logistical delays such as finding a provider or raising funds for the procedure and travel costs. Other factors included single motherhood, mental health or substance abuse, domestic violence, and the youthfulness of the mother.
But the figures around late-term abortion haven't helped the GOP in electoral races in which abortion became a key topic, which Newsom sought to highlight in his debate with DeSantis. November's off-year elections saw Ohio pass the Issue 1 ballot measure, which enshrined abortion into the state's constitution. In addition to Ohio, California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, and Vermont have all passed measures to protect access to abortion or blocked attempts to restrict abortion.
The Florida governor's six-week abortion restriction was praised by conservatives, but former President Donald Trump criticized the legislation and said that abortion restrictions make it "very difficult to win elections."
A Gallup poll released in July showed 51% said abortion should be legal “only under certain circumstances,” 34% said abortion should be legal "under any circumstances," and 13% said it should be illegal under all circumstances.
Amanda Roberti, a political scientist at San Francisco State University who studies abortion and women in politics, pointed to public disapproval of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court decision, which overturned Roe as part of the GOP's struggles in winning elections on abortion.
"The public does not agree with the Dobbs decision. They would like to see something like Roe go back, and even some folks would like to take it a bit further with some congressional actions ... maybe to codify it via our federal legislature," Roberti said. "I don't know if they can change their messaging that would sway voters because I think voters do understand."
"And I think what's happening is that voters are actually ... seeing now what some communities have actually experienced for a long time, which is lack of access to reproductive healthcare and what that looks like," Roberti said.
Yet anti-abortion groups remain undeterred by the electoral losses surrounding abortion and instead pounced on the debate comments as further evidence Newsom and his party are too extreme.
"Last night’s debate shocked the national conscience when California Governor Gavin Newsom refused to support any protections for babies in the womb. Even when given several opportunities, No–Limits Newsom would not list a single limit he supports on abortion — not even in the seventh, eighth or ninth month," Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a statement. "This stunning declaration from Newsom confirms to the American people that the former Democratic platform of ‘safe, legal and rare’ abortions is now in the ash heap of history."
"Today’s Democratic Party stands for all-trimester abortions, for any reason on demand. That position is not only inhumane but wildly out of step with the nearly three-fourths of Americans who want abortions restricted after 15 weeks," she said.
Similarly, SBA's research arm, the Charlotte Lozier Institute, excoriated Newsom's abortion comments as false, noting that "88% of late abortions occur for elective social and financial reasons" rather than for medical reasons.
"Americans must understand that late-term abortions aren’t a fringe issue, but a serious problem that demands action," Dr. Ingrid Skop, the group's vice president and director of medical affairs, said.
Priests for Life National Director Frank Pavone said anti-abortion activists need to emphasize their compassion for mothers who are in difficult situations to overcome electoral losses on abortion.
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"If the Republican or pro-life candidates can point to the fact that the movement of pro-life is the movement that's providing these pregnancy centers nationwide, the concrete help that people need, and say we're not insensitive at all or unaware at all of the needs of these moms and these families. On the contrary, we're trying to help those needs," Pavone said. "That's the advice that I give to candidates. And I think that those are winning messages."
Pavone also called for Democrats to have an "honest conversation" about abortion ahead of the 2024 election. "If you really want to make an abortion an election issue, I'm all in favor of that. Bring it out into the open," he said. "That's the last thing they want to do. They do not want to talk about abortion in any such way other than pretending to talk about abortion. But actually talking about something that we actually agree with, which is women's health, freedom, reproductive rights. We believe in reproductive rights. We just don't believe in taking the life of a child."