Hillary Clinton blasted Donald Trump for using “scare rhetoric” while discussing late-term abortions during the third and final presidential debate on Wednesday.
“The kinds of cases that fall at the end of pregnancy are often the most heartbreaking, painful decisions for families to make,” Clinton said, when asked about the extent of her support for late-term abortions in certain situations. “I do not think the United States government should be stepping in and making those most personal of decisions, so you can regulate if you are doing so with the life and the health of the mother taken into account.”
Trump, who said a reversal of Roe v. Wade would happen “automatically” under his presidency because of the Supreme Court justices he would appoint, fired back.
“If you go with what Hillary is saying, in the ninth month you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby. Now, you can say that that’s okay, and Hillary can say that that’s okay, but it’s not okay with me,” Trump said.
“Well that is not what happens in these cases, and using that kind of scare rhetoric is just terribly unfortunate,” Clinton said. “You should meet with some of the women that I’ve met with—women I’ve known over the course of my life. This is one of the worst possible choices that any woman and her family has to make, and I do not believe the government should be making.”
Trump has held a variety of stances on abortion during his life, previously saying he supports abortion rights. Since launching his presidential campaign last year, Trump has maintained that he opposes abortion but would support exceptions in cases of rape or incest or when the life of the mother is threatened. Clinton supports abortion rights and has made “women’s issues” a priority in her campaign.