During an interview with Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson on Tuesday, CBS This Morning’s Norah O’Donnell repeatedly hit the famed neurosurgeon from the left on abortion and whether or not he agreed with Donald Trump’s disparaging remarks about women.
O’Donnell eagerly touted Hillary Clinton who “leveled an attack against Republicans in the field. She said ‘What Donald Trump is saying about Megyn Kelly is outrageous and what the rest of the Republicans are also saying about women is also outrageous.’”
After the CBS host stressed that Clinton was “trying to tie” Carson to Trump, she did give the Republican presidential candidate an opportunity to respond, and he resoundingly rejected the Democrat’s comparison:
Well, all I can say is, you know, it was a woman, my mother who is responsible for my success, and I have the most wonderful wife and my medical career, you know, I had terrific female physician assistants and administrative people who I could not have proceeded without...If she ties me to that, I don't know.
O’Donnell continued to promote Hillary Clinton’s attack on Republicans and used it as an opportunity to question Carson about his pro-life views:
You saw what Hillary Clinton said yesterday, essentially trying to draw what Donald Trump said about Megyn Kelly to then make it a debate about abortion in this country and she specifically attacked Marco Rubio. So let me ask you -- would you ban abortions in the case of rape, incest, and life of mother?
Once again, Carson pushed back against O’Donnell’s liberal question and reiterated his views on the issue of abortion:
Well, you know, I spent my entire career as a pediatric neurosurgeon, frequently staying up all night, fighting, struggling to save the lives of little babies, even operating on babies inside the womb. So I don't think it should be hard for anybody to understand that I am totally opposed to killing babies.
Not to be content with Carson’s answer, the CBS anchor continued to press him on the issue of abortion, specifically whether he supported exceptions for the life of the mother:
So just be clear because I looked at your website and it wasn't clear on your website. You are opposed to all abortions, even in the case of life of mother?
For his part, Dr. Carson once again rejected the premise of O’Donnell’s question and concluded the back and forth by explaining that the life of the mother exception was mainly a “spurious argument” given the advances in medical technology:
I think when it comes to the case of the life of the mother, you have to -- to look at the individual situation. Recognize that that is largely a spurious argument because we have advanced so much in medicine these days that that situation rarely occurs.
See relevant transcript below.
CBS This Morning
August 11, 2015
NORAH O’DONNELL: Dr. Carson, I want to give you the opportunity to respond to Hillary Clinton yesterday who leveled an attack against Republicans in the field. She said “What Donald Trump is saying about Megyn Kelly is outrageous and what the rest of the Republicans are also saying about women is also outrageous.” She is trying to tie you to Trump's comments. Do you want to separate yourself?
BEN CARSON: Well, all I can say is, you know, it was a woman, my mother who is responsible for my success, and I have the most wonderful wife and my medical career, you know, I had terrific female physician assistants and administrative people who I could not have proceeded without.
O’DONNELL: You saw what --
CARSON: If she ties me to that, I don't know.
O’DONNELL: You saw what Hillary Clinton said yesterday, essentially trying to draw what Donald Trump said about Megyn Kelly to then make it a debate about abortion in this country and she specifically attacked Marco Rubio. So let me ask you -- would you ban abortions in the case of rape, incest, and life of mother?
CARSON: Well, you know, I spent my entire career as a pediatric neurosurgeon, frequently staying up all night, fighting, struggling to save the lives of little babies, even operating on babies inside the womb. So I don't think it should be hard for anybody to understand that I am totally opposed to killing babies.
O’DONNELL: So just be clear because I looked at your website and it wasn't clear on your website. You are opposed to all abortions, even in the case of life of mother?
CARSON: I think when it comes to the case of the life of the mother, you have to -- to look at the individual situation. Recognize that that is largely a spurious argument because we have advanced so much in medicine these days that that situation rarely occurs.
