A big moment in the debate discussion on Twitter on Wednesday night was MSNBC host Jen Psaki trying to rebut Ron DeSantis and other Republicans: "No one supports abortion up until birth."
That's simply, obviously false if you listen to Democrat politicians or read the 2020 Democrat platform. The party seeks to "codify" an end to all state restrictions on abortion.
But the "independent fact checkers" have repeatedly and furiously spun in favor of Democrats by claiming Republicans are "false" for saying Democrats support abortion until birth. They did it again after this first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 cycle. Washington Post "Fact Checker" Glenn Kessler did the usual pro-DNC tap dance:
This is a common Republican talking point — that Democrats support nationwide abortion-on-demand up until the moment of birth. The implication is that late-term abortions are common — and that they are routinely accepted by Democrats.
The reality, according to federal and state data, is that abortions past the point of viability are extremely rare. When they do happen, they often involve painful, emotional and even moral decisions.
This is like saying execution by guillotine is "extremely rare," so if you support it, you don't really support it?
FactCheck.org also picked up this spin, making this their first bullet point of "false" claims:
Several candidates claimed that Democrats support allowing abortions “up to the moment of birth,” but what Democrats support is an exception for bans on abortion after fetal viability if the mother’s health is at risk.
Then this came later:
DeSantis, Scott and Hutchinson all misleadingly claimed that Democrats support allowing abortions “all the way up to the moment of birth,” as DeSantis put it....
We’ll start with the first claim. As we’ve explained before, Democrats in Congress support legislation that would bar states from prohibiting abortion after a fetus is viable outside the womb in cases where the patient’s life or health is at risk. Republicans object to the health exception, claiming the bill would allow abortion on demand at any point in a pregnancy.
They turned to pro-abortion extremist Mary Ziegler as their expert:
Mary Ziegler, a professor of law at the University of California, Davis and the author of six books on the abortion debate and the law, told us that “Republicans view those health exceptions as sort of like a blanket permission to have an abortion whenever you want.” Democrats say “it’s an exception for life or health.”
But this is the actual 2020 Democrat platform language. Read it. There are no exceptions, and they seek taxpayer-funded abortions (prevented by the Hyde Amendment):
Securing Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice
Democrats are committed to protecting and advancing reproductive health, rights, and justice. We believe unequivocally, like the majority of Americans, that every woman should be able to access high-quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion. We will repeal the Title X domestic gag rule and restore federal funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides vital preventive and reproductive health care for millions of people, especially low-income people, and people of color, and LGBTQ+ people, including in underserved areas.
Democrats oppose and will fight to overturn federal and state laws that create barriers to reproductive health and rights. We will repeal the Hyde Amendment, and protect and codify the right to reproductive freedom. We condemn acts of violence, harassment, and intimidation of reproductive health providers, patients, and staff. We will address the discrimination and barriers that inhibit meaningful access to reproductive health care services, including those based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, income, disability, geography, and other factors. Democrats oppose restrictions on medication abortion care that are inconsistent with the most recent medical and scientific evidence and that do not protect public health.
