Where Nikki Haley Stands on Abortion

The first question about abortion in last week’s debate went to former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, and her answer started strong. She declared herself “unapologetically pro-life,” urged civility on all sides, and argued that we should act to protect human lives where we have reached a democratic consensus. She suggested that we should, for example, “ban late-term abortions” at the federal level.

That’s the beginning of an approach that could help the pro-life cause and Republicans alike (one that I have elsewhere described and defended as “persistent persuasion”). But the debate, as it continued, revealed an ambiguity in Haley’s position on the issue that probably cannot be sustained in a presidential campaign, and that pro-lifers should want resolved to their satisfaction.

About the Author

Ramesh Ponnuru

Ramesh Ponnuru is the editor of National Review, a columnist for the Washington Post, and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

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The first question about abortion in last week’s debate went to former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, and her answer started strong. She declared herself “unapologetically pro-life,” urged civility on all sides, and argued that we should act to protect human lives where we have reached a democratic consensus. She suggested that we should, for example, “ban late-term abortions” at the federal level.

That’s the beginning of an approach that could help the pro-life cause and Republicans alike (one that I have elsewhere described and defended as “persistent persuasion”). But the debate, as it continued, revealed an ambiguity in Haley’s position on the issue that probably cannot be sustained in a presidential campaign, and that pro-lifers should want resolved to their satisfaction.