Former Vice President Mike Pence said abortion should be banned for nonviable pregnancies. Pence has remained extremely open about his pro-life views throughout his campaign for the 2024 presidential election, which he announced in June.
In the midst of a contentious debate about abortion rights in America, Pence is the only Republican candidate who has vocalized his support for a national ban on abortion at six weeks. He has also supported bans on birth control and has called for a 15-week national abortion ban.
“I’m pro-life. I don’t apologize for it,” told Pence to The Hill. “I just have heard so many stories over the years of courageous women and families who were told that their unborn child would not go to term or would not survive. And then they had a healthy pregnancy and a healthy delivery.”
“I want to always err on the side of life,” he continued. “I would hold that view in these matters because… I honestly believe that we got this extraordinary opportunity in the country today to restore the sanctity of life to the center of American law.”
Medical experts and abortion rights activists have condemned Pence’s far-right views on reproductive care. According to a study done in 2021, one in three women are able to confirm their pregnancies past the six-week mark. The suggested threshold would strip many women of their bodily autonomy and would cause unnecessary health risks to those forced to carry nonviable pregnancies to term.
Other Republican presidential candidates, such as frontrunner Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) have been less willing to share their opinions on abortion rights in America, though DeSantis did sign a six-week abortion ban in Florida in April. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, many GOP politicians have pulled back on their harsh reproductive stances and focused on other policy issues.
Pence is currently polling behind Trump and DeSantis, receiving the third-most support and averaging at about 7%.
