Extreme anti-abortion laws passed in Alabama and Georgia have put Republicans on the defensive just as they were trying to sell the nation on the lie that Democrats are the extremists on the issue. Following Alabama’s passage of a law criminalizing abortion even in cases of rape and incest, Republicans are not eager to answer questions.
Donald Trump and the White House aren’t talking about it, and vulnerable Republican senators are dodging for all they’re worth. Arizona’s Martha McSally insisted that “That’s a state issue. I’m focused on my work here,” while North Carolina’s Thom Tillis said, “I’m going to leave it to the folks in Alabama how to govern that state.”
Sure, guys. And no doubt that’s how you’d respond if a state dramatically expanded abortion rights and access and the Republican talking point of the day was to echo Donald Trump’s “executing newborns” lies. Funny how Republican “states’ rights” talk always disappears in moments like that.
The situation is this: Alabama banned all abortions at any time, except in cases of a threat to the pregnant person’s life. It imposed criminal penalties on doctors. Republicans own this, and trying to stay quiet or dodge questions doesn’t change that.