Tense Exchange Between Trump And Democratic Senator Over Abortion Underscores President’s Renewed Focus On Issue
During a dinner at the White House before the National Prayer Breakfast, President Donald Trump reportedly laced into devout-Christian Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.). People who witnessed the confrontation said it was "awkward" and aggressive. The intensity of the exchange underscores how much the president sees abortion as a winning issue with his much-needed evangelical base. News on abortion comes out of Arkansas, Mississippi and Kansas, as well.
The Hill:
Trump Got In Dem’s Face Over Abortion At Private Meeting: Report
President Trump reportedly fumed at Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) last week at a private event before the National Prayer Breakfast, tearing into him over bills in New York and Virginia to extend abortion rights. Politico, citing three sources, reported that Trump "leaned in close" to Coons during the exchange. ... A White House official told Politico that the exchange shows how Trump “genuinely views abortion … and isn’t afraid to make the Democrats defend their extreme positions.” The official did not witness the interaction, and the White House declined to comment further, according to Politico. (Burke, 2/13)
Politico:
'He Was In His Face': Trump Fumes Over Abortion, Courts Evangelicals
The private episode underscored Trump’s recent public focus on abortion, which has delighted his evangelical Christian supporters. During his State of the Union address last Tuesday, Trump used vivid imagery to claim that New York’s new abortion law would “allow a baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb moments before birth.” And he accused Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, who’s backed similar legislation in his state, of wanting to allow medical providers to “execute” babies after birth. Abortion is a somewhat unlikely new cause for a president who years ago called himself “very pro-choice” and did not make the issue a central theme of his 2016 campaign. But people close to Trump say that he has developed an increasingly sincere passion for the cause. (Orr, 2/13)
The Associated Press:
Arkansas Lawmaker's Plan Tightens Abortion Ban To 18 Weeks
A Republican lawmaker in Arkansas, which has some of the strictest abortion prohibitions in the country, wants the state to go even further with a measure that would prohibit the procedure 18 weeks into a pregnancy. The proposed 18-week ban filed this week would further prohibit abortions in a state where the procedure is already banned at 20 weeks. The latest measure includes an exception for medical emergencies, but not for rape or incest. (DeMillo, 2/13)
The Associated Press:
Mississippi Advances Ban On Abortion After Fetal Heartbeat
Mississippi is working toward enacting one of the strictest abortion laws in the nation, in a race with other states to push a legal challenge to the more conservative U.S. Supreme Court. The Republican-controlled Mississippi House and Senate passed separate bills Wednesday to ban most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, about six weeks into pregnancy. Efforts to pass similar bills are underway in Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee. (Wagster Pettus, 2/13)
Kansas City Star:
Kansas Lawmakers Introduce ‘Abortion Reversal’ Bill
A bill introduced in the Kansas House this week would require abortion providers to inform patients that the effects of the abortion pill can be reversed, but pro-choice advocates and medical organizations say it’s not proven science. Medical, or non-surgical, abortions actually involve a sequence of two pills, the first being Mifepristone, better-known as RU-486. (Korte, 2/13)
