The Republican presidential candidates vying to be the leading alternative to front-runner Donald Trump tangled on abortion at the first Republican primary debate Wednesday night, underscoring the party's challenges on the issue after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year.
All of the candidates identified as "pro-life," but differed on when restrictions should kick in after the court ended the constitutional right to an abortion, leading to a wave of restrictions in Republican-led states.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is polling a distant second Trump, refused again to say whether he supports a federal ban.
"I'm going to stand on the side of life. Look, I understand Wisconsin is going to do it different than Texas. I understand Iowa and New Hampshire are going to be different, but I will support the cause of life as governor and as president," he said.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley again argued for consensus on the issue, arguing passing a federal ban would be highly unlikely without more Republicans in Congress.
"Consensus is the opposite of leadership," rebutted former Vice President Mike Pence, who has made his opposition to abortion rights a central tenant of his campaign. Pence supports a federal ban on abortion at six weeks, before many women even know they're pregnant, and has called on the field to back a 15-week national ban as a minimum.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.