Representative Charlie Crist, the Democratic nominee for Florida governor, struggled to clarify his confusing abortion record on CNN Sunday.
Host of CNN’s Newsroom Pamela Brown pressed Crist on the fact that he used to describe himself as pro-life. He insisted that he’s always been ideologically consistent on the issue in claiming to be personally pro-life and politically pro-choice.
After serving as governor as a Republican, Crist switched his party affiliation to Independent following his loss to Marco Rubio in the 2010 Republican Senate primary. He became a Democrat in 2012 and was elected to Congress as such representing his home district in 2016.
Brown asked Crist on Sunday, “Do you still identify as pro-life?”
“I’m pro choice and that is why I have a hundred percent rating by Planned Parenthood, by NARAL,” Crist replied. “…I do respect a woman’s right to choose. The governor we have doesn’t. As I said, the law he signed doesn’t even have exceptions for rape or incest. That’s barbaric.”
Brown again asked Crist to set the record straight on whether he was ever pro-life. “In the past, you have said you were pro-life. Have your views on this changed over time? Has your perspective evolved into how you look at it now?,” she said.
“No, they’ve only gotten stronger,” Crist said. “As I said, that is why as a Republican governor of Florida I vetoed an anti-abortion bill. That bill was calling for an ultrasound to be taken before a woman could make that decision, and would have to pay for it at the same time. I thought it was mean-spirited. I thought it was inappropriate. I thought it was wrong as a Republican governor. I’ve already done that. I’ll do it as a Democratic governor, and I look forward to–”
Brown interrupted: “In the past, you said you were pro-life. Now you’re saying you are pro-choice. You said your view has only gotten stronger. Help us square that if you would — saying in the past you were pro-life, now saying your views have gotten stronger to be pro-choice.”
Crist doubled-down, saying that he has historically opposed legislative initiatives to restrict abortion, even as a Republican.
“Deeds are the most important part of this discussion,” he added. “As a young state senator, I voted against an anti-abortion bill and in health care committee, killed the bill on a 3-3 tie and it never went to the Senate floor. As a Republican governor I vetoed an anti-abortion bill.”
Crist muddled his position further in a recent interview with WPTV News Capitol reporter Forrest Saunders, in which he said, “I’m for life. I hope we’re all for life. I think maybe Vladimir Putin isn’t but most human beings are.” He then confirmed that he is, in fact, also pro-choice.
In 1998 campaign, Crist wrote in the St. Petersburg Times: “I am pro-choice, but not pro-abortion. I believe that a woman has the right to choose, but would prefer only after careful consideration and consultation with her family, her physician and her clergy; not her government.”
During the 2006 Republican gubernatorial primary, however, Crist was defiant about his pro-life views. “I’m pro-life. I don’t know how else to say it,” he told reporters.
In a later general-election debate against his Democratic opponent that year, he adopted the supposed middle ground stance of being privately pro-life but outspoken against abortion regulations.
“I’m pro-life on this issue, but I also understand that it’s very important to respect the views of others, and I do,” he said. “I don’t think it’s important to change the law. What I do believe is important is that we change hearts and not the law. . . . I’m pro-life and I’m proud of it, but I don’t think that I should impose my will on other people as a result of it.”
At a Democratic primary debate alongside then-opponent Nicki Fried this past July, Crist declined to say whether he would support any limits to abortion access.
“You know, the question really isn’t ‘what limits?’, the question is why do Republicans like Ron Desantis not honor and respect a woman’s right to choose? That’s the issue we’re dealing with,” Crist said.
Crist faces Governor Ron DeSantis in the upcoming general election. Considering the state’s large and growing Republican electoral advantage, Crist is expected to be defeated soundly, although he said Sunday that he is still optimistic about his prospects given the many independent and Democratic voters.