Sophia Bush: The GOP Debate Ignored the Candidates’ Callous Assaults on Abortion Rights

One of the Republican Party’s top missions is to take women’s reproductive autonomy away, and yet the seven GOP presidential candidates on stage at the Reagan Library were barely asked to address their radical stance.

In fact, despite the reality that every single one of the GOP hopefuls—including the absent former President Donald Trump—is anti-choice, it wasn’t until the last 15 minutes of the second Republican debate that the topic was even raised—and only to two candidates. And those of us watching the mayhem on stage barely heard their responses, one of which was to parrot the Republican Party lie about Democrats supporting abortions into the ninth gestational month. Newsflash, that’s not a thing. And the GOP hopefuls know it, but they lie anyway.

That candidates were permitted to skirt the issue and promote falsehoods with no fact-checking is simply absurd. Especially given that abortion rights have dominated every election since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year—and have driven record numbers of voters to the polls.

With the 2024 election looming, it is alarming that a discussion of the most fundamental rights of 51 percent of the American population was treated like an afterthought. How could the moderators not have pressed for focus on this issue?

The second GOP debate Wednesday night was, for the most part, a showcase for candidates to trot out their usual talking points—and fear-mongering—on the economy, national security, healthcare, immigration, and more. These are undoubtedly vital issues that deserve serious attention, but the omission of reproductive rights from the conversation until near the closing moments was incredibly conspicuous.

A recent CNN poll confirmed what we’ve long known to be true: Abortion rights will continue to be a defining issue in 2024, and the overwhelming majority of Americans support reproductive freedom. Despite all the GOP hopefuls being anti-choice, they are at odds with voters. Nearly 80 percent of Americans believe decisions regarding abortion should be left to patients and their doctors. And the American Medical Association has declared abortion bans a violation of human rights.

When one of the debate moderators finally dared to broach the topic, Fox News host Dana Perino asked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, not about his political beliefs that ignore medical facts, but about how he plans to win crucial purple states, where his hard line on abortion is likely to be a drag on his chances with “independent pro-choice voters.”

DeSantis, who has threatened to take executive action to curb reproductive healthcare access if elected, replied, “I reject this idea that pro-lifers are to blame for midterm defeats,” adding, “The former president… He should be here explaining his comments to try to say that pro-life protections are somehow a terrible thing… Tell people who’ve been fighting this fight for a long time.” And then he went on to parrot the lie that Democrats support “abortion up until birth,” which went unchecked.

Isn’t that great? One softball question about the entire party’s full-frontal assault on women’s rights, and all we get is a DeSantis stump speech where he runs to the right of Donald Trump. And then what? We all are just supposed to move on to the next Nikki Haley-Vivek Ramaswamy slap fight, as if the issue of reproductive autonomy is a minor distraction to a cage match battle royale? (The question, with no followup, was such a gift to DeSantis that one prominent mainstream conservative commentator said DeSantis should just make the entire clip into a campaign ad.)

“By leaving reproductive rights unmentioned until the last 15 minutes, the debate moderators trivialized the concerns of millions of Americans who have been fighting for their right to make decisions about their own bodies.”

— Sophia Bush

Reproductive rights are not just a social issue; they represent a core aspect of individual autonomy, personal freedom, and gender equality. They affect, at minimum, 51 percent of the American population. They are central to the lives of millions of us who deserve to hear where the candidates stand.

By leaving reproductive rights unmentioned until the last 15 minutes, the debate moderators trivialized the concerns of millions of Americans who have been fighting for their right to make decisions about their own bodies. This delay allowed the candidates to dodge accountability for their positions.

Moreover, the limited time devoted to reproductive rights prevented any chance at a meaningful and nuanced discussion on the topic. It’s challenging to engage in a comprehensive dialogue in such a rushed environment. Critical follow-up questions went unexplored because the moderators barely skimmed the surface of the topic.

Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) speak during the second Republican presidential primary debate hosted by Fox News at Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., Wednesday, September 27, 2023.

Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images

We deserve answers.

Where do the candidates stand on abortion access? On contraception access? And what about comprehensive sex education? (Both of which lower abortion rates around the country.) Voters deserve to know each candidate’s opinion of—and plans to vote on—healthcare policies that affect reproductive choices.

It is essential to recognize that reproductive rights are not solely a partisan issue. There are Republicans who support a woman’s right to choose, just as there are Democrats who hold more conservative views on this matter. The lack of attention to this issue not only alienates a substantial portion of the electorate but stifles any chance at a healthy debate within the GOP itself.

It also allows candidates to dodge the radical behavior of their own party—which claims to be the party of family values, but is currently careening our entire nation toward a shutdown that will negatively impact millions of Americans, all so that 25 party radicals can feel powerful.

Among the things these GOP extremists are demanding as they threaten a shutdown? They want to see us cut $14.7 billion to public schools in high-poverty areas, 70 percent of nutrition assistance for children, and slash $750 million from the budget of Head Start. The party of so-called “family values” is willing to let an estimated 39 percent of all infants go hungry.

You can see why so many constituents rightly call the GOP a pro-forced birth party—because they do not care what happens to babies once they are out of the womb, and it seems that for the Republicans, the cruelty is the point.

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers remarks during the FOX Business Republican Primary Debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on September 27, 2023 in Simi Valley, California.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

I would wager that this is why the debate barely skimmed the surface on where reproductive rights would stand under GOP leadership. It’s tough to capitalize on the opportunity to demonstrate that the Republican Party can engage in thoughtful, respectful, and inclusive conversations about reproductive rights if that’s, in fact, an impossibility for the party.

The GOP’s barbaric abortion policies have resulted in women coming close to death across the country, with some miscarrying mothers being denied care until they lose their ability to ever have children in the future—like Mayron Michelle Hollis, who lost her uterus because she couldn’t receive timely care in Tennessee, and Amanda Eid, who nearly died of sepsis in Texas before doctors could treat her miscarriage without fear of being imprisoned.

These women and their families deserve to be acknowledged by the party who sentenced them to suffering.

“It is time for a more inclusive and respectful conversation about reproductive rights, that is based in fact.”

— Sophia Bush

Had any of the candidates or moderators been unafraid of their positions, perhaps we would have heard a more substantive discussion earlier in the debate. I have a hunch they’d like to continue to avoid the topic moving forward, but voters and journalists alike should not allow them to skirt the issue. Nikki Haley should have to reckon with her pledge to sign a federal ban on abortion. Tim Scott should have to explain why he wants to sign legislation curbing our rights “every day” to would-be voters. Chris Christie should have to explain why he slashed $7.5 million from state grants to support family planning and women’s health clinics to his constituents.

We must force all of the GOP candidates to engage in a meaningful dialogue on reproductive rights during their campaigns. A party that actually values individual freedom and personal responsibility—as guiding principles in society, not just stump speech talking points—should be willing to discuss these fundamental rights openly and without reservation.

In a true democracy, the citizens’ voices matter. Ignoring an issue as critical as reproductive rights until the final minutes of a debate sends the wrong message about the GOP’s priorities and its willingness to engage with the reality of a diverse American electorate.

It is time for a more inclusive and respectful conversation about reproductive rights, that is based on fact. Enough with the lies. Enough with the dodging. The GOP must be forced to recognize the significance and value of the voices of those of us who are directly affected by these policies.