During Tuesday’s presidential debate, Vice President Kamala Harris sidestepped a question about her stance on late-term abortions, a topic that has become a contentious issue in the campaign. The debate, hosted by ABC News at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, saw Harris and former President Donald Trump clash on abortion, among other hot-button issues.
Trump pressed Harris on whether she supports any limits on abortion, specifically asking if she would allow the procedure in the seventh, eighth, or ninth month of pregnancy. Harris deflected, instead turning the question back on Trump by asking if he would veto a national abortion ban. Trump countered that under the now-defunct Roe v. Wade, abortions could be performed up to and even after birth.
Indeed, seven states and Washington, DC, have no limits on abortion, meaning a baby could be legally aborted in those states at any point during pregnancy for any reason.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), thousands of unborn babies are aborted after 21 weeks of pregnancy each year. While these late-term abortions account for a small percentage of total abortions, they still result in the loss of thousands of lives. In 2021, for example, the CDC reported over 6,000 abortions after 21 weeks, out of a total of 625,978.
Trump also referenced a 2019 controversy surrounding former Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, who supported a bill that would have allowed women to request an abortion even during childbirth. Northam’s comments on the bill sparked outrage, with some interpreting them as suggesting that infants who survived abortion attempts could be left to die.
In Minnesota, where Harris’s running mate Tim Walz serves as governor, at least eight babies have been born alive in botched abortions, according to Department of Health data. None of these babies appeared to have received life-preserving care, and it is unclear if any survived.
Harris has consistently refused to specify any limits she supports on abortion, instead pledging to restore Roe v. Wade and federalize the issue. The Biden-Harris administration has pushed for the passage of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which opponents argue would expand access to abortion throughout pregnancy.
Abortion has become a central issue in Harris’s campaign, with many Democrats citing it as a top priority. However, polling suggests that it is not a leading concern for most voters, who are more focused on issues like the economy and border security.
