Anybody running for president who hopes to have a "snowball's chance in hell" in the 2024 GOP primary would agree that late-term abortions should not be allowed, Sen. Lindsey Graham, who has endorsed former President Donald Trump's reelection bid, said Sunday.
"That's where our nominee will be," the South Carolina Republican told CNN's "State of the Union." "I'm confident that no Democrat will answer the question of when do you draw a line? They never get challenged. And I welcome this debate. I welcome this debate. Should we be like China and North Korea? Or should we be like Europe when it comes to late-term abortion?"
Graham has proposed legislation to ban abortions nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy. When asked whether abortion laws should be a federal or state issue, he told show host Dana Bash that abortion is a "human rights issue."
"Does it really matter where you're conceived?" asked Graham. "At 15 weeks, you have a developed heart and lungs; and to dismember a child at 15 weeks is a painful experience and barbaric. It is out of line with the rest of the civilized world. Only North Korea and China allow abortion on demand up to the moment of birth."
Democrats though, are making propositions on abortion that are "barbaric" and "up to the moment of birth," said Graham.
"I think the Republican Party will be in good standing to oppose late-term abortion," he added.
Bash argued that very few abortions are late-term procedures, but Graham accused the media of "covering up" for lawmakers who introduce legislation allowing for abortions up to the moment of birth.
In other matters, Graham said Sunday he wants to follow precedent when it comes to replacing Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the Senate Judiciary Committee if she resigns.
The California Democrat has not returned to the Senate since March when she was hospitalized for shingles. She says she's committed to returning to Washington but has asked to be "temporarily" replaced in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Democrats need 60 votes to replace her, but senior Republicans say they won't give them the votes.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer last week requested to replace Feinstein on the committee with Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. Graham, who objected to that, said Sunday the situation will be different if she resigns from the Senate.
"If she resigned, I would make sure that whatever we did in the past when members resigned would be followed," he said, referring to Feinstein as a "wonderful person" and saying he hopes she comes back.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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