2016 Final Presidential Debate: Abortion

Summary

In this debate excerpt, the candidates discuss the contentious issue of abortion. Mr. Trump, identifying as pro-life, suggests that appointing conservative justices could lead to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, thereby returning the decision to individual states. Secretary Clinton defends a woman's constitutional right to make healthcare decisions, including abortion, and criticizes attempts to defund Planned Parenthood. The discussion also touches on late-term abortions, with Clinton arguing for regulations that consider the mother's health and Trump expressing his opposition to such practices.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ The discussion revolves around the potential impact of the next president's appointments on the Supreme Court, particularly regarding the issue of abortion rights.
• 🔍 Mr. Trump states he is pro-life and plans to appoint pro-life judges, suggesting that the decision on abortion could revert to individual states.
• 🚫 Secretary Clinton defends Roe v. Wade, emphasizing the constitutional right for women to make decisions about their healthcare, including abortion.
• 🏥 Secretary Clinton criticizes the defunding of Planned Parenthood, which provides not only abortion services but also cancer screenings and other health benefits for women.
• 🙅‍♂️ Mr. Trump has expressed support for defunding Planned Parenthood and has taken a stance against abortion, including late-term abortions.
• 🤔 Secretary Clinton argues that late-term abortions are often the result of heartbreaking and difficult circumstances, and should be left to the discretion of women and their families.
• 🛡️ Secretary Clinton pledges to defend both Planned Parenthood and the rights of women to make their own healthcare decisions, including abortion.
• 🚫 Mr. Trump expresses his opposition to late-term abortions, describing a graphic scenario that he finds unacceptable.
• 🌎 Secretary Clinton discusses her international perspective, having seen governments force abortions or childbirth on women, and asserts that the government should not interfere in these personal decisions.
• 🏳️‍🌈 There is a clear ideological divide between the two candidates on the issue of abortion, with Secretary Clinton advocating for women's rights and Mr. Trump advocating for pro-life policies.
• 🗳️ The election outcome could have significant implications for the future of abortion rights in the United States, given the potential for the Supreme Court to overturn or uphold Roe v. Wade.

Q & A

What is Mr. Trump's stance on abortion?

Mr. Trump is pro-life and supports appointing pro-life judges to the Supreme Court.

Does Mr. Trump want Roe v. Wade to be overturned?

Yes, Mr. Trump wants Roe v. Wade to be overturned and believes the issue should go back to the individual states.

What does Secretary Clinton's stance on abortion entail?

Secretary Clinton supports Roe v. Wade, defends women's rights to make their own healthcare decisions, and opposes stringent state regulations that block these rights.

What is Mr. Trump's response to the issue of late-term partial-birth abortions?

Mr. Trump finds late-term partial-birth abortions unacceptable and criticizes Secretary Clinton for supporting them, although Clinton argues that this is a misrepresentation of her stance.

How does Secretary Clinton justify her vote against a ban on late-term partial-birth abortions?

Secretary Clinton explains that Roe v. Wade allows regulations on abortion as long as the life and health of the mother are taken into account, and she did not believe the proposed ban did so.

What argument does Secretary Clinton make regarding government involvement in abortion decisions?

Secretary Clinton argues that the government should not be involved in personal decisions about abortion, which should be made by women and their families in consultation with their faith and medical advice.

What does Mr. Trump claim about abortion in the ninth month?

Mr. Trump claims that Secretary Clinton's stance allows for babies to be 'ripped out of the womb' in the ninth month, which Clinton refutes as scare rhetoric.

How does Secretary Clinton respond to Mr. Trump's claims about late-term abortions?

Secretary Clinton refutes Mr. Trump's claims as scare rhetoric and emphasizes the difficult personal nature of late-term abortion decisions.

What examples does Secretary Clinton provide to argue against government interference in abortion?

Secretary Clinton cites examples from countries like China, where women were forced to have abortions, and Romania, where women were forced to bear children, to argue against government interference.

What overarching theme does Secretary Clinton emphasize regarding abortion rights?

Secretary Clinton emphasizes that the government should not interfere in the most personal decisions women make regarding their health and pregnancies.

Outlines

00:00

🤰 Abortion Rights Debate

The first paragraph delves into the contentious issue of abortion rights, focusing on the potential impact of the next president's appointments to the Supreme Court. Mr. Trump, identifying as pro-life, expresses his intent to appoint judges who share his views, suggesting that this could lead to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, thereby returning the decision on abortion rights to individual states. Secretary Clinton staunchly defends Roe v. Wade and women's autonomy over their healthcare decisions, criticizing restrictive state regulations and the defunding of Planned Parenthood. She also addresses the emotional and complex nature of late-term abortions, arguing against government interference in such personal decisions. Mr. Trump counters with a graphic description of late-term procedures, expressing his disapproval and aligning with a more restrictive stance on abortion.

05:01

🚫 Late-Term Abortion Controversy

The second paragraph continues the discussion on abortion, specifically focusing on late-term abortions. Mr. Trump vehemently opposes late-term abortions, using strong language to describe the procedure and expressing his belief that no one should have the right to perform such an act close to birth. Secretary Clinton refutes this by clarifying that late-term abortions are rare and often involve heartbreaking circumstances. She emphasizes the importance of allowing women and their families to make these difficult decisions without government interference, based on medical advice and personal beliefs. The paragraph ends with a brief acknowledgment from the moderator, moving the conversation forward.

Keywords

💡Roe v. Wade

Roe v. Wade is the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide in the United States. It establishes a woman's right to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. In the script, the debate centers around whether this decision should be overturned, which would return the power to regulate abortion to the individual states.

💡Pro-life

Pro-life is a stance against abortion, advocating for the protection of fetal life from conception. Donald Trump identifies as pro-life and expresses his intention to appoint judges who are also pro-life, which he believes would lead to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and shift the decision-making power on abortion laws back to the states.

💡Pro-choice

Pro-choice is the belief that women should have the autonomy to choose whether or not to have an abortion. Hillary Clinton defends this position, arguing for the protection of Roe v. Wade and women's rights to make their own healthcare decisions without government interference.

💡Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care, including cancer screenings, birth control, and abortion services. The script mentions that Donald Trump supports defunding Planned Parenthood, while Hillary Clinton defends its funding, emphasizing its role in providing critical health services to women.

💡Late-term abortion

Late-term abortion refers to the termination of a pregnancy during the later stages, often after the point of fetal viability. The script highlights a contentious debate, with Trump criticizing late-term abortions as taking a fully developed baby from the womb, while Clinton argues that these cases often involve severe health risks or fetal abnormalities, and should not be restricted by the government.

💡Constitutional rights

Constitutional rights are the fundamental rights guaranteed to all citizens by the Constitution. The debate in the script revolves around whether a fetus has constitutional rights and whether the government's role in abortion regulations infringes on a woman's constitutional right to privacy and bodily autonomy as established by Roe v. Wade.

💡Health of the mother

The health of the mother is a critical consideration in the abortion debate, particularly regarding regulations that may restrict access to abortion services. Clinton emphasizes that any regulation on abortion should consider the life and health of the mother, arguing that late-term abortions are often necessary for maternal health reasons.

💡Judicial appointments

Judicial appointments refer to the nomination and confirmation of judges to the courts. Trump discusses appointing pro-life judges to the Supreme Court, suggesting that such appointments would likely lead to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. This underscores the significant impact presidential elections can have on the judicial landscape and subsequent legal decisions.

💡Government intervention

Government intervention in the context of this debate refers to the extent to which the government should be involved in regulating abortion. Clinton argues against government interference in personal health decisions, citing examples from other countries where governments have imposed strict reproductive controls, while Trump supports more regulatory involvement to restrict abortion access.

💡Women's healthcare decisions

Women's healthcare decisions encompass the choices women make regarding their health, including reproductive health and abortion. Clinton defends the right of women to make these decisions in consultation with their families, faith, and medical advice, opposing any governmental restrictions that would undermine this autonomy.

Highlights

The issue of abortion divides the candidates, with Trump being pro-life and Clinton defending Roe v. Wade.

Trump wants to appoint pro-life judges who would likely overturn Roe v. Wade, returning the decision to individual states.

Trump emphasizes that appointing pro-life judges will lead to Roe v. Wade being overturned automatically.

Clinton defends Roe v. Wade and criticizes the stringent regulations in many states that limit women's access to abortion services.

Clinton highlights that Planned Parenthood provides essential health services, such as cancer screenings, beyond abortion services.

Clinton asserts that Trump supports defunding Planned Parenthood and shutting down the government to achieve this.

Clinton opposes Trump's view that women should be punished for obtaining abortions.

Clinton argues for the importance of a woman's right to make personal healthcare decisions, especially in difficult and intimate cases.

Clinton states that Roe v. Wade allows for regulations on abortion, provided they consider the life and health of the mother.

Clinton explains her vote against a ban on late-term partial birth abortions was due to concerns about maternal health.

Clinton describes the heartbreaking decisions families face in late-term pregnancies and argues against government interference.

Trump criticizes Clinton's stance on late-term abortions, describing graphic scenarios he finds unacceptable.

Clinton counters Trump's claims by emphasizing the personal and difficult nature of late-term abortion decisions.

Clinton shares her experiences from countries where governments force women to have abortions or bear children, asserting such control is inappropriate.

Trump insists that late-term abortions, as described by Clinton, are unacceptable just days before birth.

Transcripts

let's pick up on another issue which

divides you and the Justice is that

whoever ends up winning this election

appoints could have a dramatic effect

that there and that's the issue of

abortion right mr. Trump you're pro-life

but I want to ask you specifically do

you want the court including the

justices that you will name to overturn

roe v wade which includes in fact states

a woman's right to abortion well if that

would happen because I am pro-life and I

will be appointing pro-life judges I

would think that that will go back to

the individual states but I'm asking you

specifically would you like that you

overturned it'll go back to the states

what I'm asking you sir is do you want

to see the court overturn you've just

said you want to see the court protect

us that kind of mine then do you want to

see the court overturned well if we put

another two or perhaps three justices on

that's really what's going to be had

that's will happen and that'll happen

automatically in my opinion because I am

putting pro-life and justices on the

court I will say this it will go back to

the states and the states will then make

a determination secretary kelis aport

roe v wade which guarantees a

constitutional right to a woman to make

the most intimate most difficult in many

cases decisions about her health care

that one can imagine and in this case

it's not only about roe v wade it is

about what's happening right now in

America so many states are putting very

stringent regulations on women that

block them from exercising that choice

to the extent that they are defunding

Planned Parenthood which of course

provides all kinds of cancer screenings

and other benefits for women in our

country Donald has said he's in favor of

defunding Planned Parenthood even

supported shutting the government down

to defund Planned Parenthood

I will defend Planned Parenthood I will

defend roe v wade and I will defend

women's rights to make their own

healthcare decisions we have come too

far to have that turn back now and in

indeed he said women should be punished

that there should be some form of

punishment

for women who obtain abortions and I

could just not be more opposed to that

kind of thinking I'm gonna give you a

chance to respond but I want to ask you

Secretary Clinton I want to explore how

far you believe the right to abortion

goes you have been quoted as saying that

the fetus has no constitutional rights

you also voted against a ban on late

term partial birth abortions why because

roe v wade very clearly sets out that

there can be regulations on abortion so

long as the life and the health of the

mother are taken into account and when I

voted as a senator I did not think that

that was the case the kinds of cases

that fall at the end of pregnancy are

often the most heartbreaking painful

decisions for families to make I have

met with women who had toward the end of

their pregnancy get the worst news one

could get that their health is in

jeopardy if they continue to carry to

term or that something terrible has

happened or just been discovered about

the pregnancy I do not think the United

States government should be stepping in

and making those most personal of

decisions so you can regulate if you are

doing so with the life and the health of

the mother taken into account

mr. trunk your reaction and particularly

on this issue of late term partial birth

well I think it's terrible if you go

with what Hillary is saying in the ninth

month you can take the baby and rip the

baby out of the womb of the mother just

prior to the birth of the baby now you

can say that that's okay and Hillary can

say that that's okay but it's not okay

with me because based on what she's

saying and based on where she's going

and where she's been you can take the

baby and rip the baby out of the womb in

the ninth month on the final day and

that's not acceptable well that is not

what happens in these cases and using

that kind of scare rhetoric is just

terribly unfortunate you should meet

with some of the way

that I've met with women I've known over

the course of my life this is one of the

worst possible choices that any woman

and her family has to make and I do not

believe the government should be making

it you know I've had the great honor of

travelling across the world on behalf of

our country I've been to countries where

governments either forced women to have

abortions like they used to do in China

or forced women to bear children like

they used to do in Romania and I can

tell you the government has no business

in the decisions that women make with

their families in accordance with their

faith with medical advice and I will

stand up for that right all right but

just briefly I want to move on nobody

has business doing what I just said

doing that as late as one or two or

three or four days prior to birth nobody

has that all right