CNN
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Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mentioned he’s in opposition to authorities limits on abortion on the federal or state stage, backing authorized abortions via the whole gestational interval whereas arguing the state mustn’t play a task in figuring out abortion entry.
In a podcast interview with Sage Steele that was launched Wednesday, Kennedy mentioned he doesn’t “belief authorities to have jurisdiction over folks’s our bodies” and believes “we have to go away it to the girl … to make these selections.” Kennedy pressured he believes “each abortion is a tragedy” and pledged as president to make youngster care extra inexpensive to cut back pressures on ladies who’re contemplating abortion as a consequence of excessive prices.
When pressed by Steele if he helps permitting particular person states to find out abortion entry for girls, Kennedy mentioned, “We shouldn’t have authorities concerned.”
“I wouldn’t go away it to the states. My perception is that we must always go away it to the girl. We shouldn’t have authorities concerned,” Kennedy mentioned.
“Even when it’s full time period?” Steele requested, referring to the potential for an abortion close to the anticipated supply date of a kid.
“Even when it’s full time period,” Kennedy replied.
The place stands in distinction with previous statements Kennedy has made on abortion, and with how his working mate Nicole Shanahan has characterised his abortion place. In an interview with Steele launched final week, Shanahan mentioned, “My understanding is that he completely believes within the limits on abortion.”
When pressed by Steele to substantiate if Kennedy supported no authorities limits on abortion, Shanahan mentioned, “That’s not my understanding of his place, and I believe perhaps there was a miscommunication there.”
In a press release to CNN, Kennedy marketing campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear mentioned the candidate believes “late-term abortions are horrifying” and that the “the mom has the ultimate say, and ethical accountability, in such selections.”
“He’s dedicated to decreasing the abortion price by supporting moms and households and implementing universally inexpensive youngster care,” Spear mentioned.
Kennedy’s feedback to Steele mirror probably the most specific articulation of his views on state or federal gestational limits on abortion. Final yr, Kennedy instructed a reporter he would support a three-month federal abortion restriction, however his marketing campaign shortly walked again that place. Kennedy has typically prevented answering straight whether or not he helps limits on abortion whereas highlighting his plan to subsidize youngster care and develop entry to adoption companies.
Kennedy acknowledged to Steele there’s “a compelling argument” that the federal government ought to set a gestational restrict on abortion entry. He additionally conceded that his place is “not a really passable consequence” due to the potential for “cases the place dangerous issues occur.”
“I believe there’s a really, superb argument, a compelling argument that the state has a curiosity in defending a completely fashioned fetus. I completely suppose that that argument may be very convincing,” Kennedy mentioned. “However once more, I come right down to the truth that I don’t belief the state, and I believe we have to belief the girl. And I don’t suppose that that’s a passable consequence as a result of there’s all the time going to be cases the place dangerous issues occur.”
Kennedy mentioned he believes instances the place a lady would probably endure a late-term abortion could be pushed by “extenuating circumstances” however reiterated his perception that the selection to have an abortion must be decided solely by the mom.
“I don’t suppose any girl ever, ever in historical past has mentioned, ‘I’m going to have a, , I’m going to have a child, I’m going to get pregnant and carry that child to eight months time period after which I’m going to terminate the being pregnant.’ I don’t suppose anyone needs to do this,” Kennedy mentioned. “I’m certain it has occurred. I’d say in virtually all these instances, there’s extenuating circumstances.”
“However I believe, finally, no person units out to do this,” he added later. “And there are all the time some form of extenuating circumstances that will make a mom make that form of selection, a horrible, horrible selection which is, , you may’t overstate how dangerous that’s. And I believe, finally, we now have to belief ladies.”
Susan B. Anthony Professional-Life America, a number one anti-abortion group, slammed Kennedy on Thursday for his remarks, with the group’s president calling him a “true extremist.”
“He would use the facility of the federal authorities to wipe out protections for all times within the states and impose limitless abortion on demand all the best way as much as ‘full time period,’ as he places it, in every single place in America. That makes him unacceptable to hundreds of thousands of pro-life voters nationwide,” Marjorie Dannenfelser mentioned in a press release.