US Presidential debate: Biden terms overturning of Roe v Wade "terrible thing"; Trump says he won't block abortion medication
Jun 28, 2024
Washington DC [US], June 28 : US President Joe Biden sparred with his predecessor Donald Trump over the issue of abortion, with the former terming the overturning of Roe v Wade judgement as a "terrible thing" while the Republican Challenger reiterated his stance to the right being with the states.
In a major takeaway, the former President said he will not block the abortion medication if he is elected.
"The Supreme Court just approved the use of abortion pill. I agree with their decision and I would not block it," Trump said in a televised debate at CNN's headquarters in Atlanta.
He also criticised the Roe vs Wade judgement -- which was overturned by the US Supreme Court in 2022 -- and claimed the earlier system allowed babies to be killed even in the eighth and the ninth months.
Trump again credited himself for appointing the judges who were part of the bench that overturned Roe v Wade.
"51 years ago, we had Roe v Wade, and everybody wanted to get it back to the states without exception...what I did, I put three great Supreme Court justices in the court and they happened to vote in favour of killing Roe v Wade...this is something everybody wanted," Trump said.
"I believe in excpetions in cases of rape...and the life of the mother. I think it is very important...The problem is that, they (Democrats) are radicals, they will take away the life of the childin 8th month, 9th month and even after birth," he said.
Biden hit back at Trump's claims calling them 'false' and said that abortion is allowed only if a woman's life is in danger.
"That is simply not true," Biden responded. "Roe v. Wade does not provide for that -- that's not the circumstance. Only if a woman's life is in danger, or she's going to die. That's the only circumstance where that can happen," Biden said.
He further said the majority of people including scholars supported Roe vs Wade, adding that the states can't be given the rights to decide on abortion.
"The vast majority of constitutional scholars supported Roe (v. Wade) when it was decided," he said in response to former President Donald Trump, who defended the overturning of the landmark case. "This idea that they were all against it is just ridiculous," Biden said.
"It's terrible...the majority of the country supported Roe...and this is a guy who says states should be able to handle it," he added.
Trump again hit back at Biden saying, "So he is ready to rip the baby in the 9th month and kill him even after he is born."