Ted Cruz: Public must decide abortion issue

Summary

Senator Ted Cruz addresses various topics including his pro-life stance, emphasizing the protection of life from conception. He criticizes Roe v. Wade as judicial activism, advocating for democratic decision-making on abortion laws. Cruz also discusses Donald Trump's controversial comments on punishing women for abortion, highlighting the need to value all human life. Additionally, he touches on the separation of faith and politics, asserting the importance of not using religion as a political tool.

Takeaways

• 🇺🇸 The senator is a pro-life advocate, believing in the protection of human life from the moment of conception.
• 🔍 He emphasizes the importance of public consensus on contentious issues like abortion and opposes judicial activism, particularly Roe v. Wade.
• 🗳️ He believes that significant policy changes, including those on abortion, should be decided democratically at the ballot box.
• 🚫 The senator opposes the use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund abortions, both domestically and overseas.
• 🤔 He criticizes Donald Trump's initial stance on punishing women who have abortions, viewing it as a sign of inconsideration and lack of serious thought on the issue.
• 👶 For cases of rape or incest, he argues against exceptions for abortion, stating that the child should not be blamed for the crime.
• 👮‍♂️ Drawing from his law enforcement experience, he discusses the severity of rape as a crime and the need to punish the perpetrator, not the unborn child.
• 🗣️ He distinguishes between personal faith and political actions, cautioning against using religion as a political tool.
• 🛡️ He mentions that as president, his role would not be to evangelize but to focus on jobs, freedom, and security.
• ✝️ While acknowledging his Christian faith, he respects the rights of atheists and the diversity of religious beliefs protected by the First Amendment.
• 🤝 He calls for tolerance and the acceptance of diverse viewpoints, including those of non-believers.

Q & A

What is Senator Cruz's stance on abortion?

Senator Cruz is pro-life and believes in protecting every human life from the moment of conception.

How does Senator Cruz view the issue of abortion in terms of public policy?

Senator Cruz believes that major issues of public policy, such as abortion, should be decided by the people through the ballot box rather than by unelected judges.

What does Senator Cruz think about Roe v. Wade?

Senator Cruz considers Roe v. Wade to be a classic example of judicial activism and believes that it wrongly took the issue out of the hands of the people.

What is Senator Cruz's position on using taxpayer dollars to fund abortions?

Senator Cruz intends to reinforce rules that prohibit federal taxpayer dollars from funding abortions, both domestically and overseas.

How does Senator Cruz respond to Donald Trump's comments about punishing women who have abortions?

Senator Cruz finds Trump's comments bizarre and illustrative of a lack of serious consideration of the issue, emphasizing that as a pro-life advocate, one should value both the unborn child and the mother.

What does Senator Cruz say about the victims of abortion?

Senator Cruz suggests that victims of abortion include not only the unborn children but also the mothers who may suffer from guilt and trauma as a result.

Does Senator Cruz support exceptions for abortion in cases of rape or incest?

Senator Cruz does not favor exceptions for abortion even in cases of rape or incest, arguing that the child should not be blamed for the crime.

How does Senator Cruz approach the topic of religion in politics?

Senator Cruz believes that politicians should not use religion as a cloak to hide their true selves, but he also acknowledges that his faith is integral to who he is and informs his views.

What does Senator Cruz mean when he says politicians should not wear their faith on their sleeve?

Senator Cruz means that politicians should not use their faith as a political tool or to manipulate voters, but rather live by their faith without imposing it on others.

How does Senator Cruz view the role of the President in relation to religion?

Senator Cruz believes the President's role is not to evangelize or sermonize but to lead the nation, protect its citizens, and uphold the Constitution, which includes the freedom of religion for all.

What is Senator Cruz's opinion on the diversity of religious beliefs in America?

Senator Cruz supports the diversity of religious beliefs, emphasizing the First Amendment rights that protect everyone's freedom to practice their faith, including atheists.

Outlines

00:00

🗳️ Abortion and Political Views

The speaker begins by addressing a question about their stance on abortion. They identify as pro-life and advocate for the protection of life from the moment of conception. They express a belief in the democratic process to decide on such issues, criticizing judicial activism, particularly Roe v. Wade, for taking the decision out of the hands of the people. The speaker also discusses the importance of not punishing women for having abortions and emphasizes the need to value and protect all human life, including the mother. They conclude by differentiating their approach from that of Donald Trump, who they claim does not understand the issue deeply and is merely trying to appeal to voters.

05:01

👮‍♂️ Law Enforcement and Abortion Exceptions

The speaker, with a background in law enforcement, shares their perspective on abortion, particularly in cases of rape and incest. They argue against exceptions for these cases, stating that the child should not be blamed for the crime. They emphasize the importance of punishing the perpetrator severely while protecting the life of the unborn. The speaker also touches on the democratic process, suggesting that decisions about abortion laws should be made by the people through voting rather than by unelected judges. They stress the importance of trust in the populace to make such decisions and the role of the Constitution and Bill of Rights in guiding these processes.

10:02

🙏 Religion and Politics

The speaker discusses the role of religion in politics, clarifying that they do not believe in wearing their faith on their sleeve in a way that hides their true identity or uses religion as a political tool. They differentiate between acknowledging one's faith and using it to manipulate or control others. The speaker defends their Christian faith and rejects the idea of being ashamed of it, while also respecting the rights of atheists and others to live according to their beliefs. They emphasize the importance of the First Amendment and the freedom it guarantees for all, including the right not to participate in religious activities. The speaker concludes by advocating for tolerance and diversity, allowing Americans to follow their own paths.

Keywords

💡Abortion

Abortion refers to the termination of a pregnancy before the fetus can survive outside the womb. In the script, the term is central to a political discussion where the speaker, Senator Cruz, expresses his pro-life stance, indicating his belief in protecting life from the moment of conception. He addresses concerns about potential legal changes should he become president, emphasizing the need for public consensus and legislative action rather than judicial activism.

💡Pro-life

Pro-life is a term used to describe individuals or policies that oppose abortion, except possibly in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is at risk. Senator Cruz identifies as pro-life, arguing for the protection of life from the moment of conception and expressing his opposition to practices like partial-birth abortion, which he describes as 'gruesome' and 'barbaric'.

💡Roe v. Wade

Roe v. Wade is a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 that established a woman's legal right to have an abortion under the constitutional right to privacy. The script discusses this case as an example of judicial activism, where Senator Cruz criticizes the Supreme Court for taking the decision out of the hands of the people and suggests that such issues should be decided democratically.

💡Judicial Activism

Judicial activism refers to the practice of judges or courts making decisions based on their personal or political views rather than strictly interpreting the law. In the script, Senator Cruz criticizes Roe v. Wade as an example of judicial activism, arguing that the Supreme Court overstepped its bounds by deciding the abortion issue instead of leaving it to the democratic process.

💡Partial-birth Abortion

Partial-birth abortion is a controversial term often used to describe a specific late-term abortion procedure. Senator Cruz mentions this term to illustrate an area where there is a growing consensus against such practices, suggesting that public opinion is shifting towards a more pro-life stance.

💡Constitution

The Constitution refers to the fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. Senator Cruz emphasizes his commitment to the Constitution and argues that important policy issues like abortion should be decided by the people through the democratic process, not by unelected judges.

💡Democracy

Democracy is a system of government where power is vested in the people, who exercise it directly or through elected representatives. The script highlights Senator Cruz's belief in democracy as a means to resolve contentious issues like abortion, advocating for decisions to be made at the ballot box by the citizens.

💡Donald Trump

Donald Trump, mentioned in the script, was a presidential candidate at the time and is discussed in relation to his comments about punishing women who have abortions if abortion were made illegal. Senator Cruz criticizes these comments as indicative of a lack of serious consideration of the issue.

💡Religion

Religion is a set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the worship of various deities or divine principles. In the script, Senator Cruz discusses the role of religion in politics, arguing against wearing one's faith on one's sleeve while also acknowledging his own Christian faith and how it informs his political views.

💡First Amendment

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the freedom of religion, speech, and the press, among other rights. Senator Cruz references the First Amendment to argue for the protection of religious freedom for all citizens, including atheists, and to emphasize the importance of not silencing others based on one's own beliefs.

💡Tolerance

Tolerance refers to the acceptance of the differing views or beliefs. The script touches on the concept of tolerance in the context of political discourse, where Senator Cruz criticizes those who claim to be tolerant but do not tolerate the expression of certain religious beliefs, such as mentioning Jesus.

Highlights

Senator discusses fears and concerns about making abortion illegal nationwide.

Senator identifies as pro-life and believes in protecting human life from conception.

Senator hopes for a change in public opinion on abortion without judicial activism.

Senator advocates for public policy decisions on abortion to be made at the ballot box.

Senator criticizes Roe v. Wade as an example of judicial activism.

Senator discusses Donald Trump's comments on punishing women for abortion.

Senator emphasizes the importance of valuing both the unborn child and the mother.

Senator rejects the idea of punishing women for abortion.

Senator talks about his experience in law enforcement and handling rape cases.

Senator argues against blaming the child in cases of rape resulting in pregnancy.

Senator discusses the democratic process and the role of the people in deciding abortion laws.

Senator addresses the issue of wearing faith on one's sleeve in politics.

Senator differentiates between being a Christian and using religion for political gain.

Senator discusses the role of the President and not being elected to be a pastor.

Senator talks about the importance of the First Amendment and religious freedom.

Senator criticizes the intolerance of some leftists towards religious expression.

Senator emphasizes the right of individuals to live according to their faith or lack thereof.

Transcripts

and welcome back to Madison Wisconsin

audience questions for the good senator

I want to take it first Helene Meyer of

Madison who has a question about

abortion thank you I consider myself a

moderate Republican and I'm pro-choice

one of my fears and concerns is that if

you become president you may make

abortion illegal nationwide so what's

your message to me and other women and

men regarding that issue in that fear

well Lee thank you for joining us thank

you for coming out you know the issue of

life has been an issue that has has torn

this country apart for many many decades

and my view on I am pro-life I believe

that we should protect every every human

life and we should protect every life in

the moment of conception and

and I will say there is more and more

consensus we are seeing on this issue as

we see for example people coming

together to bar extreme practices things

like partial-birth abortion where we're

seeing large consensuses of American

people saying this this this practice is

gruesome it's barbaric it is my hope

that we see people's hearts and minds

change but this is an issue where it's

going to take time for people's hearts

and minds to change that if you're going

to change a major issue of public policy

the way to do so I believe is that the

ballot box you know you know I have a my

whole life I have been a passionate

defender of the Constitution and and and

I think judicial activism is wrong one

of the worst things about the Supreme

Court in 1973 stepping in and seizing

this issue is it took it out of control

of the people it said that five

unelected judges will decide this issue

rather than 330 million Americans I

believe under our Constitution we have a

Democratic Society and that if someone

wants to pass legislation limiting or

expanding abortion the way to do that is

to convince your fellow citizens to make

the case at the ballot box and I think

that that ultimately is the check for

both your views and my views that you've

got to convince our fellow citizens but

I think all of us should agree that it's

a much better system to have important

public policy issues decided by the

people at the ballot box rather than

five unelected lawyers just imposing

their views on everybody else so is Rovi

law roe v-- wade settled law in your

view I know and I think it was it was a

classic example of activism it was a hit

that's true though here we are some 40

years later

what would a president Cruz do about it

well I look I think there's a great deal

you can do one of the things you can do

for example is and that I intend to do

is reinforce itti rules that Ronald

Reagan put in place that prohibit

federal taxpayer dollars from funding

abortions funding abortions overseas

funding

about the

dongseong came out and said he believed

that women should be punished if

abortion were made illegal and a woman

had an abortion that he believed women

should be punished then he dialed that

back and reversed himself on it what's

your view well look I think the

statement Donald Trump made this week

really illustrates I mean I mean it was

it was a bizarre statement saying that

he believed women should be punished

it showed that he's not considered

seriously this issue or many of the

issues facing this country that he's

really just willing to say whatever he

can say to try to win votes you know a

part of being pro-life it is valuing

every human life the unborn child but

also valuing the mother celebrating the

mother I'll tell you many times the

victims of abortion are not just the

unborn children who never get a chance

to live but it's but it's the moms who

are racked with guilt and it is a it has

a great many women have suffered because

of the tragedy of abortion and we need

to be celebrating and protecting all

human life and it was interesting I

thought one of the most insightful

observations on this came from Jonah

Goldberg at National Review where he was

talking about Donald's comments on

abortion and he said these comments are

the comments of a liberal who is trying

to say what he thinks conservatives want

to hear so so from a from a liberals

perspective Donald and Jonah was

speculating believes that conservatives

want to hear punish women now no

conservative actually believes that but

if you're trying to pretend to be

something you're not

you get the rhetoric wrong you don't

understand it and and Jonah analogized

it to the KKK

you know when Donald was doing an

interview on CNN and was asked about

David Duke the former Grand Wizard of

the Ku Klux Klan supporting him and

Donald refused to denounce the KKK in

that interview and Jonah said listen

that's a liberal who thinks we'll gosh

conservatives don't want me to denounce

the Klan

now listen anyway that's actually a

conservative is perfectly happy saying

the Klan is evil it is bigoted it is

wrong it has no place in society and if

you if you're speaking from core

convictions

you know that cuz you're speaking from

the heart defensive mentality had

denounced it online and at a press

conference the previous Friday and then

went on to do it again but but wait I

want to ask it just to follow up because

you don't favor a rape or an incest

exception to abortion and for people

like we this may be a problem in getting

behind us and president Ted Cruz that

they they think you may be too too far

right on social issues well let's listen

let's talk you know when it comes to

rape I've spent a lot of years in law

enforcement I was the Solicitor General

of the state of Texas and I have handled

cases with horrific cases of rape of

people who committed child rape people I

mean I went before the US Supreme Court

and argued in defense of state laws

imposing capital punishment for the very

worst child rapist and when it comes to

rape rape as a horrific crime against

the humanity of a person and needs to be

punished and punished severely but at

the same time as horrible as that crime

is I don't believe it's the child's

fault and and and and we we pit them at

the crime we want to do everything we

can to prevent the crime on the front

end and to punish the criminal but I

don't believe it makes sense to blame

the child you know you know what the the

people who favor these exceptions say

they say you you'd be forcing the mother

to go through unspeakable trauma to

carry her rapist baby for nine months

well I'll tell you as a practical matter

Megan as I mentioned before in visiting

with Lee and in order for any

legislation to be passed on this topic

you have to convince your fellow

citizens that's ultimately the check in

a democratic society is you've got to

convince three hundred and thirty

million Americans and you know before

Roe vs. Wade it was a question

state-by-state so here it would be a

question for Wisconsin what should the

laws be governing abortion if Roe versus

Wade was not the law it would be up to

the people of Wisconsin to decide the

people of Wisconsin might decide to

allow some exceptions or not allow some

exceptions everyone agrees that you

always want to protect the life of the

mother but if you trust the people it's

one of the reasons why the Constitution

and Bill of Rights can be such a

unifying document and a

approach because ultimately the

Constitution entrusts the people with

making these decisions not having them

forced on us by unelected judges want to

get this in we're gonna we have another

questioner who wants to ask you about

Obamacare but we'll do that after the

break let me ask you about religion

because you recently said the following

quote those in politics have an

obligation not to wear their faith on

their sleeve and a lot of people said

huh

come again Ted Cruz right because you've

been out there regularly asking voters

to pray that God will quote continue

this awakening in this campaign you

regularly quote from scripture on this

stump and you actually told your

volunteers that they need to quote strap

on the full armor of God so how is that

not wearing your religion on your sleeve

well this is number one this is the

point I've made for many many years

that politicians you know they're far

too many politicians who use religion as

a cloak to hide who they are and I think

that's wrong I think you have to be

particularly careful against that now I

recognize that that that many in the

media try to paint anyone who's a

conservative anyone who's actually a

Christian to paint them as some sort of

crazy nut I'm not gonna hide my faith I

am a Christian I'm going to acknowledge

it I am NOT going to be ashamed of Jesus

what's wearing it on your sleeve if not

you know put on the full armor of God

well let me give you an example what I

talk about every day on the campaign

trail I talk about jobs I talk about

freedom I talk about security

I'm not running to be pastor in chief

I'm not asking you to elect me to be

your pastor it's not the job of the

president to stand up and give a sermon

to evangelize it's not the job of the

president to tell people you're going to

hell that's not a president's job no one

wants to see a president trying to do

that it is the job of the President to

be commander in chief to defend this

nation to keep us safe to defeat radical

Islamic terrorism it is the job of the

President to fight against taxes and

regulations that are killing small

businesses and destroying jobs be

informed by your favor look fired by my

faith is integral to Who I am but you

know the great thing about the Bill of

Rights actually we were talking a minute

ago about the Bill of Rights so I've

done town halls where people stand up

and say I'm an atheist

why should I support you you know what

the First Amendment really

liberté it's the very first Liberty

protected in the First Amendment of the

Bill of Rights it applies to everybody

it applies to Christians but they're

going to say the Atheist thing I don't

want to have to sit there in the school

setting and so on and and have to

participate or even watch as everyone

stands up around me and says the Pledge

which mentions God or says a prayer

after some function at school

but but the Constitution doesn't give

you a hecklers veto you don't have the

right no one forces you to participate

in anything you have the right not to

participate but you don't have the right

to silence everybody else and

of atheists every one of us we have a

right to seek out and worship God to

live according to our own faith and

conscious if that's religious faith you

have the right to live according to that

if you're an atheist you have the right

to live according to that and you know

the amazing thing is the left loves to

preach tolerance and diversity there is

nothing so intolerant as a leftist who

says don't you sit daresay Jesus around

me I will not tolerate the name of Jesus

you know what live and let live and

recognize that that that Americans can

choose to follow our own path