Zero states allow for abortions up until the moment of birth.
That fact didn’t stop Republican candidates from spreading misinformation about abortions that happen later in pregnancy during the first GOP presidential debate Wednesday night.
Fox News moderator Martha MacCallum said about five states “allow abortion up until the time of birth,” before switching the discussion to focus on a potential federal abortion ban.
“What the Democrats are trying to do on this issue is wrong, to allow abortion all the way up to the moment of birth,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said about the subject.
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott echoed those remarks, claiming that California, Illinois and New York allow abortions up until the day of birth.
“That is immoral. It is unethical,” Scott said.
Currently, six states and the District of Columbia do not have limits on abortion care, meaning that the procedure can occur past 24 weeks. The states include Alaska, Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon and Vermont.
Candidates onstage and the moderators repeatedly touted false claims that Democrats are actively advocating for abortions right before an infant is born, a procedure that is not performed by medical providers anywhere in the U.S.
Only providers in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Colorado can undertake abortions after 24 weeks. Still, abortions in the third trimester are rare and are typically done if life-threatening medical complications arise for either the pregnant person or the fetus.
The false impression that Democrats support abortions up until the time of birth has been repeated by GOP lawmakers throughout recent years.
In 2020, when speaking to members of the U.S. Senate, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, himself a former presidential hopeful, said that Democrats have supported the concept as well as abortions that occur after birth — considered a crime nationwide.
“The idea of killing a child while the mother is in labor instead of delivering the infant is horrifying beyond words,” he said at the time.
During Wednesday’s debate, Former White House Press Secretary and MSNBC anchor Jen Psaki took to X — formerly known as Twitter — to squash the misinformation.
“No one supports abortion up until birth,” she said.
Following MacCallum’s comments, candidates were asked whether they’d be willing to implement a federal abortion ban. Both former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and DeSantis did not directly answer the question.
Haley called on Republicans to stop demonizing the issue, while DeSantis reiterated his pro-life stance.
Only one candidate, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, outrightly said he would not sign a federal abortion ban, calling it a violation of the U.S. Constitution.
Burgum signed a six week abortion ban in April. Reproductive rights groups note that people rarely realize they are pregnant at six weeks, illustrating how restrictive such a ban is for birthing people.
Former Vice President Mike Pence all but directly insinuated that he would sign a national abortion ban.
“It’s not a state’s only issue, it’s a moral issue,” he said. “A 15-week ban is an idea whose time has come.”
