Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was asked about abortion during his CNN Town Hall on Thursday night. DeSantis said that states have the “primary role” in the issue.
His administration, he said, would defend the rights of states to enact pro-life protections.
DeSantis then bashed President Donald J. Trump for saying that the Heartbeat Bill is a “terrible thing.” He noted Trump’s previous comments at the 2020 March for Life and asked why Trump either lied then or has changed his position on the issue.
Trump, DeSantis said, wants to elevate the issue to the federal level and has floated the idea of a ban at 18 or 20 weeks that would override any protections put in place at the state level.
“I think for pro-life voters in Iowa, Donald Trump is taking positions that are way different than what he professed to believe when he first ran for President in 2016,” DeSantis said.
The CNN host asked DeSantis if he believes Trump is pro-life.
“Of course not,” DeSantis said. “When you’re saying that pro-life protections are a terrible thing, by definition, you are not pro-life. When you say that you want to have a federal law at 18 weeks or 20 weeks that would override a state like Iowa that has enacted pro-life protections, that would mean more abortions, not less abortions. He has flip-flopped on this issue.”
