On Fox & Friends Saturday, co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy devoted a segment to informing viewers of how extreme Democrat vice presidential candidate Tim Walz's support for abortion has been in his time as governor of Minnesota.
She began by playing a clip from the October 1 debate in which co-moderator and CBS News host Norah O'Donnell asked Governor Walz if Donald Trump is correct in stating that the Minnesota Democrat supports abortion in the ninth month of pregnancy, with a clip of Walz not giving a straight answer and claiming that "that's not what the bill says" and that the change in Minnesota law he pushed "restored Roe versus Wade."
Campos-Duffy then showed on screen the text of how the law used to read and how it changed under Governor Walz's recommendations:
But here are the changes that Tim Walz himself made to the law. The original bill called for doctors to provide life-saving measures to any baby born alive during an abortion. And, yes, it does happen. But you'll see Walz strike through at the bottom, calling only for the "care" of the infant. Legal experts say these changes allow for end of life, quote, unquote, "comfort care," the ultimate euphemism, rather than compelling doctors to save these babies.
The Fox host then brought aboard pro-life activist Melissa Ohden of the Abortion Survivors Network, who often speaks of how she survived after her biological mother attempted to have her aborted. Campos-Duffy began by posing: "Tell us what happened in that bill and specifically what happens to babies that survive abortions in the state of Minnesota versus other states that don't have these brutal laws."
After recalling that there have always been examples of babies who survive attempts to abort them, she then recounted:
And the reality is, even the CDC years ago, Dr. Willard Cates identified, you know, 300 to 400 live births a year after failed abortions, and made it clear this isn't anything they wanted to report about. They said that it should be hushed up -- "Why would you want to turn yourself in?" -- and there would be public clamor. And I think this is where we're at, Rachel.
She added:
There are states -- very few states -- that identify and report the number of babies like me who survive abortions, but we had in 10 different states 270 babies who survived abortions. And when you look at that Minnesota report from 2021, five babies survived, and not a single one of them were provided medical are, Rachel. This is a travesty.
Campos-Duffy then followed up: "So they use this word -- and it just makes me sick to my stomach -- it's called 'comfort care.' Why don't you explain to our viewers what 'comfort care' means?"
Ohden explained:
It reminds me so much of when then-Senator Obama was discussing that in the state of Illinois, my friend, right, Jill Stanek, a nurse, held a baby like me who had survived an abortion, and the response to that baby not being provided medical care and the uproar when she brought it up to the public was that they would create a, quote, unquote, "comfort care room." No one would want this for their child, their grandchild, anyone they know and love. Why are they willing to do this to babies time and time again? And why are they hiding the truth from the American public?
The Fox host then jumped back in and brought up comparisons to how China and North Korea treat aborted babies:
These are babies that are survivable. They are not getting medical care. They are sometimes put in buckets -- that's what that nurse actually that you're talking about brought to the attention -- it horrified many, but it turned other people's hearts to stone. They just didn't care. And you see someone like Tim Walz doing this. You say that this is very similar to what they do in China and in North Korea -- that the policies of the Kamala and Walz - a future administration -- and even the Biden administration are like those countries.
Transcript follows:
Fox & Friends Saturday
October 5, 2024
7:43 a.m. Eastern
RACHEL CAMPOS-DUFFY: A 2023 Minnesota abortion law called into question during this week's debate. Listen.
(from October 1 vice presidential debate)
NORAH O'DONNELL, DEBATE MODERATOR: Former President Trump said in the last debate that you believe abortion, quote, "in the ninth month is absolutely fine." Yes or no? Is that what you support? I'll give you two minutes.
GOVERNOR TIM WALZ (D-MN): That's not what the bill says. (editing jump) ... but Minnesota, what we did is restore Roe versus Wade.
CAMPOS-DUFFY: Hmm. But here are the changes that Tim Walz himself made to the law. The original bill called for doctors to provide life-saving measures to any baby born alive during an abortion. And, yes, it does happen. But you'll see Walz strike through at the bottom, calling only for the "care" of the infant. Legal experts say these changes allow for end of life, quote, unquote, "comfort care," the ultimate euphemism, rather than compelling doctors to save these babies.
Founder and director of the Abortion Survivors Network, Melissa Ohden, who survived an abortion herself, joins us now. Melissa, what an honor to have you on today. Nothing speaks more to what we just saw in that debate than just seeing you right here. Forty-seven years ago, you survived an abortion and luckily got care, and you're sitting here with us today. Tell us what happened in that bill and specifically what happens to babies that survive abortions in the state of Minnesota versus other states that don't have these brutal laws.
MELISSA OHDEN, ABORTION SURVIVORS NETWORK: You're so right, Rachel. The reality is, babies survived abortions before Roe. Many of us gratefully survived during Roe, and babies are still surviving abortions today post-Roe. And the reality is, even the CDC years ago, Dr. Willard Cates identified, you know, 300 to 400 live births a year after failed abortions, and made it clear this isn't anything they wanted to report about. They said that it should be hushed up -- "Why would you want to turn yourself in?" -- and there would be public clamor. And I think this is where we're at, Rachel.
There are states -- very few states -- that identify and report the number of babies like me who survive abortions, but we had in 10 different states 270 babies who survived abortions. And when you look at that Minnesota report from 2021, five babies survived, and not a single one of them were provided medical are, Rachel. This is a travesty.
CAMPOS-DUFFY: So they use this word -- and it just makes me sick to my stomach -- it's called "comfort care." Why don't you explain to our viewers what "comfort care" means?
OHDEN: Yeah, I was thinking about that this morning. It reminds me so much of when then-Senator Obama was discussing that in the state of Illinois, my friend, right, Jill Stanek, a nurse, held a baby like me who had survived an abortion, and the response to that baby not being provided medical care and the uproar when she brought it up to the public was that they would create a, quote, unquote, "comfort care room." No one would want this for their child, their grandchild, anyone they know and love. Why are they willing to do this to babies time and time again? And why are they hiding the truth from the American public?
CAMPOS-DUFFY: Yeah. These are babies that are survivable. They are not getting medical care. They are sometimes put in buckets -- that's what that nurse actually that you're talking about brought to the attention -- it horrified many, but it turned other people's hearts to stone. They just didn't care. And you see someone like Tim Walz doing this. You say that this is very similar to what they do in China and in North Korea -- that the policies of the Kamala and Walz - a future administration -- and even the Biden administration are like those countries.
OHDEN: That's right. And, again, this is what the American public needs to know. I find it fascinating, yet not surprising, that Governor Walz did not answer the questions the other night about abortions for the ninth month of pregnancy. NPR even did some fact-checking and shared that this week, that that is correct. Under Minnesota law, abortion is not restricted throughout any month of pregnancy.
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