Well, the third and final Presidential debate is done. And boy, did this one give us plenty to talk about. One issue that moderator Chris Wallace asked both candidates concerned abortion and Roe v. Wade.
Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton made it very clear that she supports a woman’s right to choose what happens to her own body, and that any decisions concerning abortion should be between the woman, her family, and her doctor.
Republican nominee Donald Trump took that answer and then went completely off the deep end.
He tried some abhorrent shock tactics that claimed under a Clinton Administration, babies would be ripped from their mother’s wombs at 9 months.
Here’s the full quote:
“I think it’s terrible if you go with what Hillary is saying in the ninth month you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby. Now, you can say that that’s okay, and Hillary can say that that’s okay, but it’s not okay with me. Because based on what she’s saying and based on where she’s going and where she’s been, you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month, on the final day. And that’s not acceptable.”
Not only is that a horrific thing to say, it is a total mischaracterization of how the abortion process happens in the United States.
Moments after Trump made this claim, an actual doctor responded.
There is no such thing as a ninth month abortion – I'm a doctor who trained in late term abortions #debate2016
— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) October 20, 2016
According to federal government statistics, the vast majority of abortions happen within the first fourteen weeks of pregnancy. Only around 1.3 percent of abortions can be classified as “late term” abortions.
And NONE happen on the “final day” of pregnancy as Trump claimed.
Sometimes, due to certain health complications such as anencephaly, where the baby will not survive outside the womb, the doctor can induce labor around 36 weeks.
Late term inductions at 36 weeks sometimes for anencephaly (not compatible with life) but that's not ripping out #debate2016
— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) October 20, 2016
Additionally, some mothers go into labor with perfectly healthy pregnancies, but end up needing an assist from a surgeon, which is called a C-section.
Women actually refer to it as a C-Section https://t.co/VF42bRumU2
— Mr. Babypants (@mrbabypants) October 20, 2016
These procedures are NOT abortions, Donald.
And that wasn’t even the most shocking thing Trump said during the debate! Seems he kept his “liar, liar, pants on fire” reputation intact during all three debates.
Watch his comments here:
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOijGwGLdW8
Feature image via Youtube screengrab
