Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) reaffirmed his support for all anti-abortion laws, despite former President and 2024 GOP candidate Donald Trump criticizing Florida’s six-week ban as “terrible.”
Appearing on Meet the Press on Sunday, Rubio reiterated his stance against abortion and discussed his efforts to federalize a bill that would ban the procedure at 15 weeks, with exceptions for the mother’s health.
“I’m pro-life, so I support laws that save unborn human life and other people have opinions on what that law should be,” Rubio stated. “Other people have different views, but in our representative democracy, people will have to answer to voters in the state of Florida who voted for that and voters will now get to take that into account in this election and any future election.”
Acknowledging differences even within the anti-abortion movement, Rubio emphasized his support for “any bill that protects unborn life.”
“But I don’t consider other people in the pro-life movement who have a different view to be apostate,” Rubio added. “We are not like the Democrats where unless you are in favor of their bills that basically say, ‘let’s just put in fancy language’ but it’s not meaningful in terms of any restrictions, you won’t get any — Planned Parenthood, for example, who supports all these Democrats. To get their support you have to be for abortion at any time. I don’t care what they say, that’s the practical impact of their laws. They are radicals on this.”
Florida’s bill, signed into law last year, includes an amendment added by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to ensure that cases of ectopic pregnancies, molar pregnancies, and premature rupture of membranes receive “medically appropriate” care.
Rubio is on the shortlist for Trump’s running mate this November, although their potential candidacy could face challenges as both are Florida residents. The 12th Amendment states that if a presidential ticket includes residents from the same state, that state cannot vote for them.
