“Morning Joe” panelists said Wednesday that Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham’s proposed 15-week abortion limit will hurt Republicans in the midterms.
The panel predicted the senator’s proposed legislation to impose a national abortion ban after 15 weeks will “backfire” on Republicans after the party has consistently argued it should be a states’ rights issue. MSNBC host Joe Scarborough cited several Republicans who oppose the legislation, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to argue that the party is “on the defensive” over abortion.
MSNBC host Jonathon Lamire added that Graham’s plan will likely mobilize and expand Democrats’ voter base.
“This seems like it’s Graham’s effort to try and fire up the Republican base as well, at least the people I’ve talked to on both sides of the aisle think it’s going to backfire big time and it’s only going to push Democrats that much more to get people to register to vote and get to the polls in November,” Lamire said.
Scarborough then argued that Graham’s legislation adds onto a slew of issues that could potentially hurt Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Republican base in the midterms. (RELATED: ‘Can Feel Excruciating Pain’: Sen. Lindsey Graham Defends 15-Week Abortion Limit)
“And you’ve just got to be thinking that Mitch is going ‘how do I do this with tweedle dee and tweedle dum to my left and to my right?’ They seem to be working actively for the Democratic Party and this Lindsey gift yesterday to the Biden White House and Democrats, just unthinkable.”
MSNBC contributor Mike Barnicle argued that Graham is “insecure” to raise the issue of abortion rather than target Democrats by raising the current economic issues in the U.S. In response, MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton said abortion is a central issue among the Democratic base and any restriction, including Graham’s, will energize the party.
“How do we really fight to mobilize voters around non-Protestant lines around this issue of taking away women’s rights to vote and converse civil rights and women’s rights,” Sharpton said. “If we waited 24 hours, we wouldn’t have had to have the meeting because Lindsey Graham did it for us. I think he has energized a base none of us, with all of our organizational apparatus could have done. It was amazing that he would come out and say ‘no, we’re not gonna do this state by state, no it’s not states’ rights. We’re gonna nationalize it.'”
“It couldn’t have been better for those that are in a movement that we’re trying to help converge and it couldn’t have been better for the Democrats,” Sharpton continued.
MSNBC’s Willie Geist argued that the Republicans’ dynamic on abortion has changed since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Former Democratic Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill responded that Graham has flipped his position on several issues, including states’ rights on abortion.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned Graham’s legislation Tuesday, calling it a “radical” step that takes rights away from women.
“Today, while President Biden and Vice President [Kamala] Harris are focused on the historic passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and taking action to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, healthcare and energy, and the unprecedented action to address climate change as well, Republicans in Congress are focused on taking rights away from millions, millions of women across the country,” she told reporters.
Graham’s office did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.