Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley clarified Wednesday that she would sign a federal ban on abortion if one reached her desk, but she stressed the opportunity for a president to do so is extremely unlikely.
"If there's 60 votes, which we're not anywhere near that, and if there's something where they've come together on consensus, yes, of course, I would sign it," Haley said when asked at the Politics and Eggs event at St. Anselm College. "That's 60 votes out of 100 saying this is what America wants, but we're at 45, so we're not anywhere close."
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Her remarks alluded to the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster in the Senate, a seat count Republicans haven't obtained in the upper chamber for over a century. Moreover, at least two GOP senators, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME), favor abortion rights.
Haley has long stressed the need to find "consensus" on abortion nationally and has largely steered clear of pitching specific weeks to restrict. To that end, she has indicated she believes the public could coalesce around stronger national restrictions on late-term abortions.
She has also maintained that her chief objective on abortion is to "save babies" and "support mothers." Rather than harping on far-flung objectives on abortion that face long odds of success in the political arena, Haley argued the focus should be trained on practical ways of advancing the anti-abortion cause.
"No Republican president could ban abortions, any more than a Democrat president could get rid of our state laws — it's just not practical," Haley said. "Let's have a true, honest conversation if we're going to have it, and let's focus on how we save babies and how we support mothers in the process."
When pressed by an attendee about how Granite State voters are "overwhelmingly" pro-abortion rights, Haley replied, "I can't suddenly change my pro-life position because I'm campaigning in New Hampshire." She then took note of how personal the matter is.
"I had a girlfriend in college, and she was raped. And the torture she went through wondering if she was pregnant — I wouldn't wish that on anybody. Everybody in this room has a story," Haley said.
Earlier, she noted how her husband was adopted and that she "had trouble having both of my children" but now gets to live with "those blessings every day."
Many 2024 GOP contenders, such as former President Donald Trump, have weathered scrutiny from anti-abortion groups, such as Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, that have sought to keep them in line on the matter.
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Democrats have pummeled Republicans aggressively on abortion. The Democratic National Committee, for instance, quickly seized on her remarks.
"Nikki Haley has told us over and over that she's an anti-abortion extremist, with the record to back it up. Her pledge today to sign a national abortion ban is just another reminder of what's at stake," DNC national press secretary and Rapid Response Director Ammar Moussa said in a statement.