Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham went on the offensive against the media during a Sunday interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, accusing her and her peers of “covering up” for Democrats when it comes to the issue of late-term abortions.
The heated exchange occurred on Bash’s “State of the Union,” when the anchor questioned Graham on the issue of abortion as the Supreme Court this past week issued a stay on a lower court ruling banning the use of the abortion drug mifepristone. Graham has voiced support for a federal ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
When asked by Bash if he supported former President Donald Trump’s stance that abortion should be determined by states or former Vice President Mike Pence who supports a nationwide ban, Graham sidestepped the question to accuse Democrats of supporting making abortion publicly funded and available up to birth.
“What the Democratic Party proposes on abortion is barbaric. Abortion up to the moment of birth, taxpayer-funded, I think is barbaric,” he said. “I think the Republican Party will be in good standing to oppose late-term abortion like most of the civilized world.”
Bash responded by clarifying that Roe v Wade, the recently struck down Supreme Court ruling that Democrats regularly show vocal support for, legalized abortion “up to viability,” meaning that the ruling had allowed for abortions up until a fetus could live outside the womb, which happens after 24-28 weeks of pregnancy. But that led to a heated reply from Graham.
“No! No! No! Quit covering for these guys! No, no, no! You’re media, you keep covering for these guys!” the senator exclaimed. “They introduced legislation that allowed abortion on demand with taxpayer-funded [abortion] up to the moment of birth. That was their position in Washington! That’s the law they want to pass, and nobody in your business will talk about it!”
“Senator,” Bash replied, “I’m not covering for anybody. You know that, and when I have Democrats on, I’ve asked many — all of them — about their position on where they believe this issue should be.”
Bash pressed again on her previous question, to which Graham only said that he believed that Republicans must strongly oppose late-term abortions and that the party’s 2024 presidential nominee would eventually take that stance.
But his previous outburst did not go ignored by Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who spoke with Bash following Graham and had a pointed response.
“I think Sen. Graham knows where the American people are on this,” she said. “They are with Democratic leaders, and the people in this country believe that the women of this country should be able to make their own decisions about their health care and not politicians, and they don’t want Ted Cruz in the waiting room.”
