On Sunday, Fox News host Shannon Bream confronted Ohio Senator JD Vance regarding the Republican presidential ticket’s abortion stance, an issue gaining traction among young female voters. A recent KFF survey of 678 women, conducted from September 12 to October 1, revealed that 39% of voters aged 18 to 29 consider abortion their top priority—up from around 20% just a few months ago.
During Fox News Sunday, Bream highlighted a 2022 debate clip where Vance, a former candidate for Ohio’s Senate seat and Donald Trump’s running mate, discussed his position on a national 15-week abortion ban proposed by Senator Lindsey Graham.
In the clip, Vance stated, “I think it’s totally reasonable to say, you cannot abort a baby, especially for elective reasons, after 15 weeks of gestation. No civilized country allows it.” Bream pressed him, “Would you vote for a 15 to 20 week ban nationally?”
Vance maintained, “I think late-term abortions are barbaric” but acknowledged the need for exceptions. He criticized Democrats, claiming they favor taxpayer-funded late-term abortions, a point he contrasted with Trump’s preference for state-level decisions on the matter.
Bream challenged him, saying, “Talking about a 15- or 20-week ban sounds like a national ban.” Vance countered, citing Trump’s explicit rejection of a national abortion ban, saying the former president believes it should be up to the states.
Recently, the abortion debate has intensified, especially highlighted during vice-presidential discussions. Vance’s claim that he has never supported a national ban was refuted by his own earlier comments. Trump took to Truth Social on October 1, affirming he would veto any federal abortion ban, contradicting his earlier indecision during a debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.
Unexpectedly, former First Lady Melania Trump entered the fray, advocating for abortion rights in her memoir, arguing that a woman should have the autonomy to make decisions about her body.
On the Fox segment, Vance declared that the Republican ticket is “sick of the nationalized culture war on this topic” and expressed a desire to return the issue to individual state voters.
Bream’s inquiry follows a recent episode featuring Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who discussed his state’s legislative actions on abortion following the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade. Walz affirmed that restoring the protections of Roe is a key focus for him and the Vice President.