During an interview on Friday’s New Day with Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, CNN co-host Alisyn Camerota falsely claimed that Democrats support extreme, late-term abortions so close to a woman’s due date, including comments by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam (D) that have been seen by many as promoting infanticide.
“It's too extreme. It is not the Democratic Party. They're not talking it on the due date,” Camerota claimed when pressed by McDaniel on the left’s radical and unpopular view that woman should be able to abort their children well after they’re able to survive outside the womb on their own.
The topic arose as part of the now-signed Alabama legislation that, in six months time, would ban all abortions with the only exception being if the mother’s life was in danger. Doctors would face up to 99 years in jail if they carry out any abortion that doesn’t meet that criteria.
Despite not being in support of the Alabama law, McDaniel invoked federalism in defending the rights of Alabamians, noting that “[t]hey've been very clear that they've crafted a law that will go to the Supreme Court that decides how far can states go to govern on this issue” while New York went in the other direction earlier this year.
McDaniel added:
We are the party of life. I think that this debate has been set off by a lot of things that we've seen from Democrats recently. 44 Democrats in the Senate said if an abortion fails, you can't provide lifesaving care to the child. I think most Americans would disagree with that. I think Ralph Northam, the governor of Virginia, who said let the baby be born and then let's decide if it lives. I think most Republicans would disagree with that.
This set Camerota off as she falsely replied that “I think [Northam’s] explained that that was a massive misstatement” to which McDaniel hit back that it still said it and it hasn’t been condemned by members of his own party in addition to the far-left support for New York-style laws legalizing abortion so close to a baby’s due date.
While not counting new laws current caught up in litigation, the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute counted back in January that only 18 states ban abortion when a baby is determined to be able to survive outside the womb. An additional six allow abortions until at least the 24th week.
Camerota again tried to have McDaniel condemn Alabama Republicans, but she reiterated both her personal position and that there’s no “litmus test to be a Republican.”
When McDaniel tried to turn the tables on why Perez hasn’t been pressed on abortion during his New Day appearances (which she pegged at 10 hits), this was when Camerota denied the left’s support for such late-term abortions (click “expand”):
MCDANIEL: We always get asked and have to qualify why we support life.
CAMEROTA: Well, that's because —
MCDANIEL: Why don't Democrats get those same questions?
CAMEROTA: — well — I mean, I'm asking you this because it happened this week and because it's so restrictive.
(....)
MCDANIEL: [H]e's never been asked a question about does he support whether a woman should be able to abort a baby on the day that it's due while she's in labor.
CAMEROTA: I don't think that any —
MCDANIEL: I think that's extreme.
CAMEROTA: But, I mean, I think that we're getting off the topic here.
MCDANIEL: That's an extreme —
CAMEROTA: It's too extreme.
MCDANIEL: But that's the Democratic Party.
CAMEROTA: It is not the Democratic Party. They're not talking it on the due date.
MCDANIEL: It's been four days on this Alabama law.
CAMEROTA: I mean —
MCDANIEL: Four days.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
MCDANIEL: Alabama is different than California.
Along with the fact that New York Democrats voted for the extreme measure and Del. Kathy Tran (D) preceded Northam in Virginia, The View came up clutch hours later to show why Camerota’s claim was bunk as 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar’s refused to say she opposes this monstrous procedure.
Back in January, John McCormack expanded on where most of the 2020 Democrats have stood in comparison to Virginia Democrats. Concerning Bernie Sanders, Jonah Goldberg wrote on April 16 that he took the same tract as Klobuchar.
Without a doubt one of the best pro-life voices in conservative media, the indefatigable Alexandra DeSanctis of National Review went into more detail on February 8 about the issue here.
To see the relevant transcript from CNN’s New Day on March 17, click “expand.”
CNN’s New Day
March 17, 2019
7:33 a.m. EasternALISYN CAMEROTA: Do you worry that the restrictive Alabama abortion law, the most restrictive in the country, will hurt Republicans?
RONNA MCDANIEL: I look at Alabama — it's a predominantly pro-life state — and they're saying we want to let the Supreme Court decide. They've been very clear that they've crafted a law that will go to the Supreme Court that decides how far can states go to govern on this issue. Obviously, New York has passed a very different law that's allowed abortions up to the due date and so, Alabama represents Alabama. They don't want California dictating to them how they should legislate and Roe v. Wade just didn't go far enough in saying where do the states get the right to determine governance on this issue.
CAMEROTA: But do you worry that there's no exception for incest or rape? That that ends up hurting Republicans? I mean, you've heard some Republicans — I'm thinking of Kevin McCarthy — already speaking out about their discomfort with that.
MCDANIEL: Yeah and there's Republicans on varying degrees of this issue. It's a very personal issue. We are the party of life. I think that this debate has been set off by a lot of things that we've seen from Democrats recently. 44 Democrats in the Senate said if an abortion fails, you can't provide lifesaving care to the child. I think most Americans would disagree with that. I think Ralph Northam, the governor of Virginia, who said let the baby be born and then let's decide if it lives.
CAMEROTA: I — I think —
MCDANIEL: I think most Republicans would disagree with that.
CAMEROTA: — he's explained that that was a massive misstatement.
MCDANIEL: But he did — but he did say that and Democrats haven't condemned that and then you have the New York law that's gone so far to say on a due date, a mother can terminate the pregnancy.
CAMEROTA: Sure.
MCDANIEL: So I think there's a wide spectrum and Roe v. Wade has not decided these issues —
CAMEROTA: Yes.
MCDANIEL: — and it's going to go back to court.
CAMEROTA: But, I mean, I guess I'm just wondering — you, as the head of the RNC — are you comfortable with saying that — I mean, there is this test case. A 12-year-old incest victim would have to carry her rapist's child.
MCDANIEL: And that's egregious. I mean, my heart goes out to that little girl. I think we are the party of life. I think there's a broad spectrum. You don't have a litmus test to be a Republican. But it's interesting that, you know, Tom Perez has been on this show 10 times — 10 times since he's been chair — the head of the DNC. He's never been asked a question about whether he agrees with abortion on a due date.
CAMEROTA: Well —
MCDANIEL: It's only Republicans that get asked that question.
CAMEROTA: — I mean, I know —
MCDANIEL: So why are Democrats posed the same tough question?
CAMEROTA: — listen —
MCDANIEL: We always get asked and have to qualify why we support life.
CAMEROTA: Well, that's because
MCDANIEL: Why don't Democrats get those same questions?
CAMEROTA: — well — I mean, I'm asking you this because it happened this week and because it's so restrictive.
MCDANIEL: Yes, but he's been here 10 different times.
CAMEROTA: And we've invited you 10 times, Ronna.
MCDANIEL: Yes, but he's been here 10 times and he's never been asked a question about does he support whether a woman should be able to abort a baby on the day that it's due while she's in labor.
CAMEROTA: I don't think that any —
MCDANIEL: I think that's extreme.
CAMEROTA: But, I mean, I think that we're getting off the topic here.
MCDANIEL: That's an extreme —
CAMEROTA: It's too extreme.
MCDANIEL: But that's the Democratic Party.
CAMEROTA: It is not the Democratic Party. They're not talking it on the due date.
MCDANIEL: It's been four days on this Alabama law.
CAMEROTA: I mean —
MCDANIEL: Four days.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
MCDANIEL: Alabama is different than California. Their voters can make a determination —
CAMEROTA: Understood.
MCDANIEL: — do we want this to govern us.
CAMEROTA: But, I mean, I guess I'm just asking you are you comfortable with no exception?
MCDANIEL: Listen, personally, I would have the exceptions. That's my personal belief, but we are a party that is a broad tent. You have — we have — if you agree with us 80 percent of the time, I want you to be a Republican. We don't have a litmus test as to whether you can belong to our party, but we are the party of life. However, we have senators, like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, and governors in — on different sides of that. Tom Perez, the head of the DNC —
CAMEROTA: Yes.
MCDANIEL: — has said if you are pro-life, you cannot be a Democrat. We will not support you.
CAMEROTA: Okay.
