U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake on Thursday released a video detailing her full position on abortion in the wake of the Arizona Supreme Court decision to enact a 19th century law that imposes a near-total abortion ban in the state.
Lake announced she opposes the ruling on Tuesday and was joined in her opposition by former President Donald Trump on Wednesday. Both Trump and Lake have suggested Governor Katie Hobbs and the Arizona State Legislature should immediately approve legislation to change the state’s abortion laws.
“This total ban on abortion that the Arizona Supreme Court just ruled on is out of line with where the people of this state are,” Lake said in her Thursday video.
“I agree with President Trump, this is such a personal and private issue.” She conceded, “I chose life, but I’m not every woman. I want to make sure that every woman who finds herself pregnant has more choices so that she can make that choice that I made.”
Lake then related her own experiences giving birth, but acknowledged her life as a successful television journalist is far from universal.
“I never would ever assume that every woman had the same exact feelings I had or situation I had,” Lake continued. “We know that some women are economically in a horrible situation. They might be in an abusive relationship, they might be the victim of rape.”
She then confirmed, “I agree with President Trump; we must have exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.”
Abortion is a very sensitive issue & voters deserve to know where every candidate stands.
Here’s my position: ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/EjxtaOZXF6
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) April 11, 2024
Lake then turned to policies she said would strengthen “our greatest institution, which is the family,” and lower the nation’s demand for abortions.
Specifically, Lake named the “baby bonus” tax policy she encountered during a 2023 visit to Hungary.
“When you get married, they give you a cut on your tax rate. When you have your first child, they give you another cut. By the time a mother has four children, she never pays taxes again,” explained Lake.
She continued, “That’s called a baby bonus, I think we should do that here in America.”
The Senate candidate then pointed to the Biden administration’s economic policies, which she argued compel young people to delay starting families.
“We need to make sure that our economic policies are growing our economy and making our young people prosperous as well so they can live that American dream,” she explained. “The American dream means being able to afford to have a family and watch those beautiful children grow.”
Lake then praised Trump for making the Supreme Court appointments necessary to secure the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which returned jurisdiction over abortion laws to the states.
“Thankfully, as we’re working through this issue, it’s not just going to be the abortion extremists calling the shots,” Lake argued. “People who are pro-life have the ability, at this moment thanks to President Trump, to be involved with this process, to come up with policies that will work to help women and save babies.”
She then reiterated her previous promise to “oppose federal funding for abortion and federal banning of abortion” if Arizonans elect her to the Senate.
Lake confirmed, “I’m not going to Washington, D.C. to impose federal restrictions on something that’s already been sent back to the states. I’m going to Washington, D.C. to secure our borders, strengthen our families, and help President Trump Make America Great Again.”
In contrast to her promise to avoid interfering in Arizona’s right to set its own abortion policy if elected, likely Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) has promised to push for a federal law that will legalize abortion across the nation.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Kari Lake” by Kari Lake.
