Former Democratic Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill said Sunday that the new abortion law Texas passed would likely hurt Republicans.
McCaskill joined “Meet the Press” to discuss the Texas law, which bans abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, and she argued that it would probably help more Democrats get elected.
Anchor Chuck Todd began the segment by noting that the Supreme Court had not moved to block the Texas law, and he asked McCaskill what President Joe Biden’s administration and Democrats in Congress should be doing in response to that.
“Well, I’m not so sure there’s a huge role for Biden and/or Congress right now other than shouting from the rooftops that this law that the Supreme Court blessed — and you can try to dress it up and put a bow on it, but they blessed a law that embraces vigilantism, that embraces the most extreme position, no exception for a 13-year-old who has been repeatedly raped by her father who didn’t know she was even pregnant until after six weeks. No exception for that,” McCaskill replied.
She went on to argue that 63% of Americans supported Roe v. Wade, adding that she would “guarantee” that “80% of America” would be unhappy to see the Texas law become the standard in the U.S.
“I really think they’ve gone too far, and I will not accept both sides on this. This is one party that is doing this, not both parties. This is not the place for, oh, both sides are a problem. No. One side is a problem,” she added, arguing that she had won reelection in Missouri because her then opponent – former Republican Missouri Rep. Todd Akin — had held what some said was an “extreme” position on abortion.
“I believe a lot of Democrats will get elected over this,” she said.
