Warning: This article discusses abortion, which may be distressing for some readers.
Donald Trump was called out by a debate moderator for his ‘lies’ regarding why women should ‘trust’ him on abortion issues.
On the evening of September 10, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced off in the presidential debate hosted by ABC News at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Although Trump previously hinted at possibly introducing a 15 to 16 week national abortion ban, in August he told Fox & Friends there ‘will not be a federal ban’ and he ‘would never’ enforce one, leaving the issue ‘now back in the states where it belongs,’ as cited by CBS News.
During last night’s presidential debate, the topic of both candidates’ positions on abortion laws was brought up once more.
Trump referenced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Harris’ Democratic vice-presidential nominee, stating: “[H]er vice presidential pick says abortion in the ninth month is absolutely fine. He also says execution after birth – it’s execution, no longer abortion because the baby is born, – is okay. And that’s not okay with me. Hence the vote.”
However, the former president was promptly corrected by the debate’s moderator, a member of CBS News’ Confirmed Team.
Moderator Linsey Davis quickly intervened to set the record straight, stating: “There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it’s born.”
Governor Walz has never advocated for killing a baby after birth, nor does the 2023 bill he signed to protect existing state abortion rights for future administrations who might take office.
The Minnesota Star Tribune outlines the changes brought by Governor Walz’s legislation, explaining that decisions about babies in later pregnancy stages—such as a fetal defect or risk to the mother’s life—are now left to doctors and families, not the state.
The updated law stipulates that if a baby is born alive, even ‘as a result of an abortion,’ it will be recognized as a human person and ‘accorded immediate protection under the law’.
Chapter 145, section 423 of the 2023 Minnesota Statutes states: “All reasonable measures consistent with good medical practice … Shall be taken by the responsible medical personnel to care for the infant who is born alive.”
As Davis pointed out, it is illegal in every state to execute an infant after birth. Harris responded similarly: “Well, as I said, you’re going to hear a bunch of lies.”
For assistance and advice about abortion, contact the National Abortion Hotline at 1-800-772-9100, available from 8am-7pm ET Monday to Friday or 8am-4pm ET Saturday to Sunday.