Nikki Haley says federal 20-week abortion ban is not realistic.

Nikki Haley: Media Exaggerating Idea of Federal Abortion Ban

In a recent interview with CBS News, former South Carolina governor and potential 2024 Republican presidential nominee Nikki Haley spoke out against the media’s portrayal of a Republican president’s ability to unilaterally enact a federal ban on abortion. Haley believes that this idea is being exaggerated to “divide people further.”

Abortion Law in South Carolina

Haley was asked about an abortion law she signed as governor in 2016, which makes abortion illegal after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions if a mother’s life is in danger or the unborn baby cannot survive. When asked if she wanted a 20-week ban to be the national standard, Haley replied:

“I think what happened when it went back to the states, now there could be consensus in each state. There’s some states that have been pro-life. I welcome that. There are some states that have erred on the side of abortion. I wish that wasn’t the case, but it is. I think that we need to make sure that people’s voices are heard. And I think we need to do this from a humanizing standpoint and not a demonizing standpoint.”

Brennan pressed Haley to clarify whether she would support such a ban at the national level. In response, Haley said that she simply wants to “tell the American people the truth,” saying that an abortion law like this has no chance of making it through a divided Congress in the first place.

Republicans Don’t Have the Votes

Haley went on to suggest that Brennan ask President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris where they would draw the line on legal abortion. She also reiterated that she wants to be honest with Americans about the realities surrounding policy proposals like this:

“I’m not going to lie to the American people. Nothing’s going to happen if we don’t get 60 votes in the Senate. We’re not even close to that on the Republican or the Democrat side.”

It’s clear that Haley believes that the media is exaggerating the idea of a federal ban on abortion and that Republicans don’t have the votes to make it happen. She wants to approach the issue from a humanizing standpoint and ensure that people’s voices are heard.

Questions for Kamala and Biden

Finally, Haley challenged Brennan to ask Kamala Harris and Joe Biden where they would draw the line on legal abortion:

“If we’re going to talk about weeks, ask Kamala and Biden: are they good for 35 weeks? 36 weeks? 37 weeks? At what point are they OK?”

It remains to be seen how this issue will play out in the coming years, but it’s clear that Nikki Haley is committed to being honest with the American people about the realities of the situation.

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