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It’s been several months since Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis quietly signed an unpopular six-week abortion ban, roughly a month before he launched a Republican presidential campaign. On “Meet the Press” this past weekend, NBC News’ Kristen Welker asked if DeSantis, were he to become president, would impose a similar policy on the nation.
The governor initially responded by arguing that California laws allow abortion “all the way up to the moment of birth” — a popular GOP talking point that appears designed to deceive the public.
So, the host tried again, asking, “Would you sign a six-week federal ban if it came to your desk, if you were president?” The White House hopeful again dodged the question.
When Welker pressed further, she eventually got an interesting answer. From the transcript:
“Well, Congress is not going to do any type of abortion legislation. They haven’t done abortion legislation — the only thing that’s impacted abortion on the federal level, I think, last thing was Obamacare in 2010. So we understand that.”
The Florida Republican added, “And so, part of me promoting a culture of life is to do things that are achievable and that obviously would have consensus.”
I call rhetoric like this the “don’t worry, we won’t succeed” argument. DeSantis didn’t say he’d oppose a federal six-week ban; he instead sought to reassure voters by arguing that congressional Republicans probably wouldn’t pass a federal six-week ban, so there’s nothing to worry about.
Of course, there’s reason for skepticism. Circling back to our earlier coverage, some of us still remember the 2020 presidential debate in which Joe Biden said the Roe v. Wade precedent was on the ballot, and Donald Trump immediately pushed back. “Why is it on the ballot?” the Republican asked. “Why is it on the ballot? It’s not on the ballot.”
The same day, Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa insisted the likelihood of Roe being overturned was “very minimal.” She added, “I don’t see that happening.” Republican Sen. Thom Tillis used similar rhetoric during his re-election campaign in North Carolina.
The deception at least made tactical sense: The more voters realized how much damage an even-more-conservative Supreme Court was likely to do, the more Republican officials and candidates risked an electoral backlash.
It’s precisely why so many in the GOP simply pretended that reproductive rights weren’t on the line, Roe’s future was sound, and Americans could count on the status quo remaining in place.
“Just keep voting for Republicans,” the party effectively said. “There won’t be dramatic changes. Roe has been around for a half-century and it’s not going anywhere. Trust us. Democrats are just trying to scare you. Don’t listen to them.”
As a strategic matter, the messaging worked. Voters were lulled into a false sense of security.
DeSantis is going down the same road now. “Congress is not going to do any type of abortion legislation,” the Florida Republican told viewers. It might be easier to believe such assurances if the party had a more credible track record on the issue.
This post updates our related earlier coverage.