Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) said Sunday on CBS' “Face the Nation” that President Joe Biden should do more to fight for so-called abortion rights.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you won re-election by a 10-point margin, where the Democrats won the government by a landslide. And you tied much of your candidacy to the issue of abortion, which was also on the ballot. To what extent do you think the victory of democracy is due to that one issue?
Whitmer: I think it really mobilized a lot of people, brought a lot of people who aren't traditional Democratic voters into the conversation, and gave me support as well. Because I was fighting for the fundamental rights that we all deserve. d was at risk of being deprived for 50 years. I've held roundtables across the state and listened to what people have to say. I think this is art. And in this country, we may lose that even at this very moment. But it was fascinating to hear the women who showed up say, “I didn't vote for you in 2018. I'm not a Democrat.” But I'm knocking on the door for you, because you're the only one fighting for my rights, my daughter's rights. ” And that was a powerful motivator. So I think people understand that this fundamental right is absolutely important.
BRENNAN: So do you think we've seen crossover voters, voters here in Michigan?
Whitmer: I certainly think so. And I also want to say, if you look at what happened in Ohio last year, Kansas was the first state. Fairly red states are very conservative, while tilted states are staunchly pro-abortion rights. Women's right to make their own decisions and reproductive freedom are motivating.
BRENNAN: So there are about nine states, maybe more, in swing states like Arizona, where abortion access could be on the ballot this year. Why do you think that might benefit Joe Biden and his re-election? Why do you think…?
Whitmer: Okay, you know, these nine states have specific things at the state level, but abortion is on the ballot in all 50 states. Abortion is on all of our votes. Because if we…
Brennan: –In theory?
Whitmer: Well, if we elect Donald Trump or Nikki Haley or Ron DeSantis, they've all committed to signing a national abortion ban. And in a state like this –
BRENNAN: – They haven't signed, no, Donald Trump hasn't said what he's going to do. He just said 6 weeks is too long.
Whitmer: He's also credited with the Supreme Court's immediate overturning of Roe v. Wade in its Dobbs decision. So it's very clear that abortion is on this ballot for all of us. I think that's why it's so important that we riot in Michigan. Because while we haven't rejected Dobbs, in a state that has gone the extra mile by expanding access to reproductive freedom, we also risk losing it if Joe rejects it. Because it is. After this next election, Biden will no longer be the President of the United States.
Brennan: So you brought up Nikki Haley. She argues that the state of Roe v. Wade needs to be restored in order to pass federal legislation. Democrats need 60 votes in the Senate, and they will need to be able to get it. If it passes the House, it will require the office of the president. That mathematics doesn't exist. So aren't Democrats' claims that they can secure rights giving people false hope? Promising to forbid it is a false pledge. It's just that the calculations don't add up.
Whitmer: I don't think so. Because right now, one in every three women in this country lives without access to make their own reproductive decisions. If you have or have a partial miscarriage or sepsis at home, your reproductive health is at risk. They don't have the ability to receive that service. This is why I think if Donald Trump were to become president, or unfortunately, if someone on the Republican side became president right now, they would push for an abortion ban for all of us. Now, this president says he will absolutely fight for reproductive freedom, even if there is no Congress willing to pass it on. His presence in the White House prevents a nationwide ban from happening.
BRENNAN: So you're saying that if somehow Republicans were to win the Senate and the House of Representatives, Joe Biden would veto the bill. but-
Whitmer: Yes.
BRENNAN: Do you actually think that's a legitimate promise to voters? Because Joe Biden doesn't talk much about abortion, in fact, he says he doesn't really care about it because of his faith. Should he talk more about it?
Whitmer: I think that would be a good idea. His one tenet of his belief system is that only women, their families, and medical professionals know what decisions are right for them. And he's fighting and will continue to fight to make sure that's the ability of American women to make decisions.
Brennan: Do you think he needs to be more of a messenger?
Whitmer: I don't think there's any harm. I think people want to know that this is a president who is fighting. And I think he said, maybe using more, more direct language, maybe that would help. But he – that's his position. So I absolutely believe that if people watch this matchup and really understand the stakes of this upcoming election, that could be a motivator for people to go vote as well.
BRENNAN: So right now, access to abortion is protected by law here in Michigan. Viability is determined by a medical professional who determines the likelihood that the fetus will survive outside the womb. Practically speaking, science will advance. The chances of survival will get closer and closer to pregnancy. This is one of those challenges. Is this just a problem that gets litigated over and over again?
Whitmer: I think I've come to the conclusion now, at age 52, that the rights that have existed for almost my entire life are in great jeopardy, and that we must continue to fight to protect them. The Roe criteria were about survivability, but I think they actually made a lot of sense. And I think that's why people are coming out in states across America and saying we're demanding this right. And that should become the norm.
