Former Democratic Texas Rep. and current presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke said that third-trimester abortions should be left up to a woman’s choosing, during a Monday campaign event in Cleveland, Ohio.
WATCH:
“Are you for third trimester abortions or are you going to protect the lives of third trimester babies? Because, you know, there’s really not a medical necessity for abortion,” an attendee asked, adding, “It’s not a medical emergency procedure, because typically third-trimester abortions take up to three days to have. So you would, in that sense, if there was an emergency, the doctors would just do a C-section. You don’t have to kill the baby.”
O’Rourke answered, “So, the question is about abortion and reproductive rights. And my answer is to you is that that should be a decision that the woman makes about her own body. I trust her.” (RELATED: Texas Democratic Party Chairman Unable To Name One Beto Accomplishment)
Back in October 2017, the U.S. House voted 237-189 to pass Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, a measure that effectively banned abortions after 20 weeks. O’Rourke voted against it.
O’Rourke’s old Senate campaign website said that a priority should be “ensuring that a woman’s right to choose is not compromised by limited access to safe and legal abortion services or family planning help,” according to the Dallas News.
His presidential campaign website does not have his stances on any issue listed.