Florida governor Ron DeSantis has accused his 2024 presidential rival Donald Trump of going “soft” on the issue of abortion after the former president said last month that some believed it was “too harsh.”
The Republican governor made the comments during an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network News’ David Brody set to air on the 700 Club on June 16.
Asked by host Brody if he feels Trump is “going soft on abortion a little bit,” DeSantis responded, “I think so.”
“I was really surprised, because he’s a Florida resident,” DeSantis said. “And I thought he would compliment the fact that we were able to do the heartbeat bill, which pro-lifers have wanted for a long time. He never complimented, never said anything about it. Then he was asked about it and he said it was ‘harsh.’”
“These are children with detectable heartbeats,” DeSantis added.
DeSantis signed the six-week ban on abortion, or the Heartbeat Protection Act, into law in April, although whether or not it will take effect depends on how the state supreme court rules in a challenge to the current 15-week ban in place, which the governor signed into law in 2022.
Heartbeat Bill Explained
In those cases, a written determination must be made by two physicians certifying, in reasonable medical judgment, that the termination of the pregnancy is necessary.Women are also exempted from the ban if their pregnancy is not yet in the third trimester and the unborn child has a “fatal fetal abnormality.”
Such an abnormality must be certified in writing by two physicians.
Other exceptions are included for pregnancies caused by rape, incest, or human trafficking, so long as the woman is less than 15 weeks.
“At the time the woman schedules or arrives for her appointment to obtain the abortion, she must provide a copy of a restraining order, police report, medical record, or other court order or documentation providing evidence that she is obtaining the termination of pregnancy because she is a victim of rape, incest, or human trafficking,” the bill states.
It will also make it a third-degree felony for any person who “willfully performs, or actively participates” in, a termination of pregnancy in violation of the legislation and prohibits state funds from being used to help a woman get an abortion in another state.
‘Harsh’ Abortion Bill
“He has to do what he has to do,” Trump said of Florida’s abortion restrictions. “If you look at what DeSantis did, a lot of people don’t even know if he knew what he was doing. But he signed six weeks, and many people within the pro-life movement feel that that was too harsh.”The former president did not explicitly state whether he himself believed the six-week ban to be too harsh. Asked if he would sign a six-week abortion ban, Trump explained that he was “looking at all options.”
Discussing Trump’s comments about abortion further with Christian Broadcasting Network News, DeSantis explained, “While I appreciate what the former president has done in a variety of realms, he opposes that bill. He said it was ‘harsh’ to protect an unborn child when there’s a detectable heartbeat.”
“I think that’s humane to do,” the Republican governor said. “I think pro-lifers have been wanting to see good pro-life protections.”
Elsewhere, DeSantis was asked why evangelical voters in particular would vote for DeSantis over Trump in 2024, pointing to the fact that Trump was able to garner plenty of support among such voters in 2016 and 2020.
‘Bold Leadership Means Florida Is ’Winning’
In response, DeSantis touted his “bold leadership” and the need to beat current President Joe Biden, noting that “the left is going to absolutely destroy this country even more than it is now.”“I don’t think there’s any elected official in the country who’s not only stood up for the values that we all share but has actually beat the left back on these things,” he said, adding that Florida is “winning” against issues such as gender ideology, and Walt Disney’s self-governing status.
Disney’s ongoing legal battle with DeSantis was initially sparked by former CEO Bob Chapek’s criticism of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, which was signed into law by DeSantis on March 28.
DeSantis, who launched his presidential campaign last month, later attempted to strip Disney of its long-standing self-governing power status in Florida by appointing a new board of supervisors.
However, Disney was able to circumvent the move by quietly entering into development and restrictive covenant agreements with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S. Inc., stripping the new board of its powers.
The legal dispute between the company and the Republican governor remains ongoing.
DeSantis told the Christian Broadcasting Network News that other Republican lawmakers have criticized him for standing up to Disney because they’re a “big powerful company,” but credited the state for standing its ground.
Polling shows that Trump—who appeared in a Miami court earlier this week to plead not guilty to charges in the federal government’s classified document case—is currently the leading Republican candidate in 2023 polls, at 53.4 percent, while DeSantis is at 21.4 percent.
