Evan McMullin, 2022 U.S. Senate candidate, poses for a photo in Highland on March 26, 2021. McMullin, who is looking unseat two-term GOP Sen. Mike Lee, appears to be trying to walk a fine line on abortion rights.
Annie Barker, Deseret News
Independent U.S. Senate candidate Evan McMullin appears to be trying to walk a fine line on abortion rights.
A former Republican who has the backing of the Utah Democratic Party in the Senate race, has shifted his position on Roe v. Wade since his 2016 run for president as an independent. McMullin is looking to unseat two-term GOP Sen. Mike Lee, who faces a primary election against Becky Edwards and Ally Isom.
In an October 2016 interview with WBUR radio in Boston, McMullin said, “I would like to see Roe v. Wade overturned.”
“I believe that how we treat life in this country is a true test of our humanity,” he continued. “I understand it’s a very polarizing issue, but I think we’ve got to respect life in this country, from conception to natural death.”
In response to the leaked draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion overturning the 1973 landmark decision guaranteeing a woman’s right to an abortion, McMullin described himself as “pro-life” but said the tug-of-war over the issue threatens to create a public health crisis and further divide the country.
“If Roe v. Wade is overturned, some states will immediately enact extreme laws — such as total bans on abortion, onerous limits on birth control, and criminalization of women in desperate situations. I oppose these laws,” he said.
In an interview on MSNBC last Sunday, host Mehdi Hasan asked McMullin how those differing opinions are compatible. McMullin said he is committed to the sanctity of life but that means the lives of women, children and the unborn.
During the exchange, Hasan interrupted McMullin and asked him to clarify whether he supports overturning Roe v. Wade.
“I do not think that that is the way for the country to move forward on this issue,” McMullin said. He also said he would vote against a national abortion ban if he were elected and such a bill came up in the Senate.
Lee jumped on McMullin in an Instagram post on his personal account Monday, which included a clip of the MSNBC interview.
“I guess Evan McMullin opposed Roe one moment and then decided to support it the next. What changed? To quote the Broadway musical Hamilton, ‘If you won’t stand for anything, what will you fall for?’” Lee wrote.
Lee has advocated for overturning Roe. v Wade for years, saying the decision was wrong morally and constitutionally and should be for states to decide.
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Source:: Deseret News – Utah News
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