Marco Rubio & Abortion: Rubio’s Courageous Stand for Life

The latest attack ad from Val Demings, the Democratic congresswoman challenging Marco Rubio in Florida’s 2022 U.S. Senate race, levels a broadside against Rubio for being . . . ideologically consistent on abortion. One would think that, given his twelve years in the Senate, it would be easy for his opponent to find a few out-of-context clips of Rubio that could portray him as a frothing-at-the-mouth woman-hater on the issue. But the Demings ad has the opposite effect. The three clips of Rubio in the 58-second video, played over an ominous-sounding background track, show the Florida Republican arguing for such extreme positions as: “Just on legal fronts, I believe Roe v. Wade is not constitutionally solid”; “I just believe with all my heart that if you’re not a society that gives precedence to life above every other right, then you’re headed in a very dangerous direction”; and “I believe that human life is valuable irrespective of the circumstances of its creation, and deserves the protection of our law.” Quelle horreur!

Whatever other criticisms one might make of Rubio, the senator has been something of a model when it comes to the pro-life cause. His consistency on the issue has been impeccable — he currently enjoys an A+ rating on the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America scorecard. He led the way on introducing a comprehensive legislative package to support mothers in a post-Roe America, providing a powerful rebuttal to the spurious pro–abortion rights accusation that pro-lifers “don’t care about babies after they’re born.” (Rubio’s package includes, among other things, a fully-refundable adoption tax credit, an expansion of the child tax credit, and a budget-neutral paid parental leave bill.) On messaging, his rhetoric has been consistently reasonable, empathetic, and convincing, as evidenced by the Demings campaign’s inability to patch together even remotely damning clips. And rather than shy away from discussing abortion, as some other Republicans have, he’s taken the fight to the Democrats, highlighting their radicalism rather than hedging or equivocating about his own views.

About the Author

Nate Hochman

Nate Hochman was a staff writer at National Review.

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The latest attack ad from Val Demings, the Democratic congresswoman challenging Marco Rubio in Florida’s 2022 U.S. Senate race, levels a broadside against Rubio for being . . . ideologically consistent on abortion. One would think that, given his twelve years in the Senate, it would be easy for his opponent to find a few out-of-context clips of Rubio that could portray him as a frothing-at-the-mouth woman-hater on the issue. But the Demings ad has the opposite effect. The three clips of Rubio in the 58-second video, played over an ominous-sounding background track, show the Florida Republican arguing for such extreme positions as: “Just on legal fronts, I believe Roe v. Wade is not constitutionally solid”; “I just believe with all my heart that if you’re not a society that gives precedence to life above every other right, then you’re headed in a very dangerous direction”; and “I believe that human life is valuable irrespective of the circumstances of its creation, and deserves the protection of our law.” Quelle horreur!

Whatever other criticisms one might make of Rubio, the senator has been something of a model when it comes to the pro-life cause. His consistency on the issue has been impeccable — he currently enjoys an A+ rating on the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America scorecard. He led the way on introducing a comprehensive legislative package to support mothers in a post-Roe America, providing a powerful rebuttal to the spurious pro–abortion rights accusation that pro-lifers “don’t care about babies after they’re born.” (Rubio’s package includes, among other things, a fully-refundable adoption tax credit, an expansion of the child tax credit, and a budget-neutral paid parental leave bill.) On messaging, his rhetoric has been consistently reasonable, empathetic, and convincing, as evidenced by the Demings campaign’s inability to patch together even remotely damning clips. And rather than shy away from discussing abortion, as some other Republicans have, he’s taken the fight to the Democrats, highlighting their radicalism rather than hedging or equivocating about his own views.