Tomi Lahren's Abortion Stance Should Be An Example For Other Conservative Women

Conservative provocateur Tomi Lahren has publicly said she is pro-choice — and gotten grilled for it — in the past. But on her recent edition of Final Thoughts, she spelled out her position clearer than ever. Since Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement, reproductive rights are in more danger than ever and many fear Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 abortion-rights case, will be overturned. President Trump, who is choosing a new judge on Monday night, has vowed to put an anti-abortion judge on the bench. Lahren holds a different position on abortion than most conservatives (about two-thirds of Republicans, or 65%, say abortion should be illegal "in all or most cases," according to the Pew Research Center), one that is more in line with libertarian beliefs than the religious right wing of the party. "Pressing for a Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade would be a huge mistake," Lahren said in her recent segment. "Yes, the new high court vacancy is a huge opportunity for conservative values and principles — I get it — and I understand the passion behind the pro-life movement. But to use conservatives' newfound power and pull to challenge a decision that, according to a new Quinnipiac poll, most Americans support, would be a mistake." The poll she is referring to found that 63% of Americans support Roe v. Wade, while 31% do not. The biggest disagreement is among Republicans, with 36% supporting and 58% disagreeing. Every other demographic, whether it's by gender, education, age, or racial group, is pro-choice. But 36% is more than one-third, which shows that the support is higher than it may seem when you scan the headlines. This is in line with the 2017 Pew study, which found that 34% of Republicans support Roe v. Wade compared to 75% of Democrats. It's notable that there are more pro-choice Republicans (34%) than anti-choice Democrats (22%). The same study found that 57% of people overall support abortion rights, while 40% do not. Throughout her segment, Lahren works hard to make her argument palatable to her base — most of whom she knows won't take kindly to it. She finally zeroes in on limited government, which is the same reason she opposes stricter gun control legislation. "I'm saying this as someone who would personally choose life, but also feels it's not the government's place to dictate," she says in the segment. "This isn't a black-and-white issue and I would never judge anyone in that position. I believe the way to encourage someone to choose life is to treat her with compassion, understanding, and love, not government regulation." As we await for Trump to pick his Supreme Court nominee — who could very well be a woman, since six out of his 25 initial picks are — party polarization is more obvious than ever. The pro-choice Republican in Congress is an endangered species, which is why there's intense focus on Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. These two GOP women could go against their party when it comes to confirming the judge who could provide a fifth SCOTUS vote to restrict abortion rights. Both Collins and Murkowski support Planned Parenthood and have voted against unconstitutional measures like this year's bill to ban the procedure after 20 weeks of pregnancy. They did, however, both vote to confirm Neil Gorsuch, whose stance on abortion is murky at best. To challenge Roe v Wade would be a mistake. https://t.co/aOMfSiCEcO — Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) July 7, 2018 Lahren, who herself holds some pretty extreme views on other issues like transgender rights, gun regulations, and sanctuary cities, shows that in this time of intense political polarization, it is possible to cross party lines and see abortion for what it is — a personal, medical decision between a woman and her doctor. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? Cynthia Nixon: "If Mike Pence Is Attacking Me, I'm Doing Something Right" Some Migrant Families May Never Be Reunited & The Trump Administration Is To Blame Trump, Who's Been Accused Of Sexual Misconduct By 19 Women, Mocks Sexual Assault At Rally via Refinery29