Former GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley criticized Ohio Senate candidate Bernie Moreno after he questioned why women "past 50" would be concerned about abortion.
Moreno, who is challenging the seat held by Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, issued his remarks during a Warren County town hall on Friday:
“You know, the left has a lot of single-issue voters. Sadly, by the way, there’s a lot of suburban women, a lot of suburban women that are like, ‘Listen, abortion is it. If I can’t have an abortion in this country whenever I want, I will vote for anybody else.’”
“It’s a little crazy, by the way, but ― especially for women that are like past 50. I’m thinking to myself, ‘I don’t think that’s an issue for you.'"
Moreno's remarks quickly caught Brown's attention and he shared the footage on X, formerly Twitter, with the caption:
Bernie Moreno thinks it’s "crazy" that women want to make their own healthcare decisions.
You can see the video of Moreno's remarks below.
Moreno's comments quickly caught Haley's attention and she immediately criticized him with a straightforward question:
"Are you trying to lose the election? Asking for a friend. #Tonedeaf #DonLemonVibes"
You can see her post below.
In a Pew Research survey conducted earlier this month, about two-thirds of voters supporting Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, cited abortion rights as “very important” to their vote. In contrast, just over one-third of those backing former President Donald Trump—whom Haley supports—indicated the same.
And many pointed out to Haley that Moreno's statements are very much reflective of what the GOP thinks about reproductive freedoms—as well as the part she's played herself.
Democrats have recognized abortion rights as a strategic advantage, highlighting Trump's boastful claims about appointing three Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn the constitutional right to abortion established by Roe v. Wade.
While the economy remains the top concern for voters, an increasing number of voters in swing states now consider abortion a critical factor in their decision this fall, as revealed by New York Times/Siena College polls conducted last month.
This marks a rise since May, when President Joe Biden was still the Democratic presidential presumptive nominee. By a significant margin, voters express more trust in Harris than Trump regarding abortion.
Harris holds a 20-point advantage over Trump on this issue, which is twice the lead Biden had during his time as the party’s nominee.
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