The conservative anti-abortion group, Susan B. Anthony List, strongly criticizes Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis for his abortion stance and his avoidance of clarifying whether he supports a federal abortion ban.
In a statement, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group, expressed that a pro-life president should protect all Americans’ lives and urged DeSantis to become the “National Defender of Life.” She deemed his dismissal of this duty as unacceptable to pro-life voters, emphasizing the existing consensus and strong support for pro-life measures.
Governor DeSantis of Florida signed a six-week abortion ban in the state in April, replacing Florida’s previous 15-week abortion ban. However, during an interview with Megyn Kelly, when asked about his stance on federal abortion bans, DeSantis avoided a direct answer.
He asserted his pro-life record as governor and future president, mentioning his intention to prevent “abortion tourism” in the military and to maintain the current U.S. Supreme Court order that upheld the Dobbs decision, resulting in the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Yet, he did not commit to enacting a federal abortion ban.
DeSantis emphasized a bottom-up approach to the pro-life movement, believing that local communities and states should lead the way, with states having primary jurisdiction over abortion laws, but acknowledged the federal interest in the matter.
In response, Dannenfelser stressed the importance of strong presidential leadership in addressing the issue and criticized DeSantis for not stepping up to the fight despite legislative challenges.
The DeSantis campaign defended the candidate, praising his work as governor on the abortion issue and criticizing the attacks from the Susan B. Anthony List, claiming that he does not bow to DC interest groups and highlighting his conservative victories in Florida.