NBC's Kristen Welker Lied About Democrats' Abortion Extremism
Category: News & Politics
Via: vic-eldred • last year • 41 commentsBy: Mollie Hemingway (The Federalist)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Kristen Welker brazenly and repeatedly lied in a bizarre, conspiracy-laden debate with former President Donald Trump on Sunday. The show was her first time as the permanent host of "Meet The Press," previously hosted by Democrat activist Chuck Todd.
Welker interrupted her own pre-taped debate with the president to insert her own "fact checks" that were false or were not responsive to actual claims Trump made. For example, she falsely claimed there is no evidence President Biden had pressured Attorney General Merrick Garland to indict his primary political opponent, Trump. In fact, in addition to statements calling for efforts to prevent Trump from running, that pressure campaign was publicly laundered for all the world to see through The New York Times on April 2, 2022, in an article headlined "Garland Faces Growing Pressure as Jan. 6 Investigation Widens." The article reported that Biden was extremely frustrated by Garland not having indicted Trump and, further, that Biden was telling people he wanted Trump prosecuted. The Times' White House stenographers said Biden "wanted Mr. Garland to act less like a ponderous judge and more like a prosecutor who is willing to take decisive action."
Trump noted in a response to Welker that Hunter Biden's influence-peddling scandal implicates Biden, so Welker interrupted the pre-taped interview to insert a defense of Biden in which she responded to something Trump didn't say. She claimed there was no evidence Biden personally benefited financially from his family's influence-peddling scheme. But even if the point was relevant to what had been said, there is evidence — in the form of multiple texts from Hunter Biden claiming he pays his father's bills. Those messages were found on the laptop Welker previously downplayed and ignored when she moderated a 2020 presidential debate.
Welker also pushed an absolutely insane conspiracy theory held by some activists on the left that Trump had wrestled a Secret Service agent in an armored vehicle on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump seemed taken aback that his debate partner either believed that outlandish story or pretended to believe it.
WELKER: So you dispute that account?
TRUMP: Dispute it? Who wouldn't dispute it? She's — the craziest account I've ever heard. You mean that I was in "The Beast," and she said I was in "The Beast," and the Secret Service didn't want — so I took a guy who was like a black belt in karate and grabbed his neck and tried to choke him —
WELKER: What happened —
TRUMP: How ridiculous.
Welker also complained about the lack of a military crackdown on Jan. 6 rioters and falsely claimed that then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi had nothing to do with preparing the Capitol for protests. In fact, security of the Capitol was one of her main jobs as speaker. The House sergeant at arms is the chief law enforcement officer for the site and serves under the speaker. Multiple law enforcement officials have criticized Pelosi for not acting on intelligence regarding the Jan. 6 protest. NPR reported that Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund made six requests of House and Senate security officials for National Guard troops but was denied. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser also discouraged National Guard help.
Shocking Lies About Abortion
But none of that is as bad as Welker's brazen lies about Democrats' actual abortion agenda. Much of the interview was devoted to Welker pushing her own pro-abortion talking points. For example, her first question sounded like it could have been written by Planned Parenthood, in which she pushed the false pro-abortion claim that directly and intentionally killing an unborn child in the womb is sometimes medically necessary for women. "So my question for you, Mr. President, is: How is it acceptable in America that women's lives are at risk, doctors are being forced to turn away patients in need, or risk breaking the law?"
TRUMP: So you have Roe v. Wade, for 52 years, people including Democrats wanted it to go back to states so the states could make the right. Roe v. Wade — I did something that nobody thought was possible, and Roe v. Wade was terminated, was put back to the states. Now, people, pro-lifers, have the right to negotiate for the first time. They had no rights at all, because the radical people on this are really the Democrats that say, after five months, six months, seven months, eight months, nine months, and even after birth you're allowed to terminate the baby —
WELKER: Mr. President, Democrats aren't saying that. I just have to, Democrats are not saying that.
Welker lied in her response. In fact, nearly every single elected Democrat supports forcing states to allow unborn children to be killed throughout all nine months of pregnancy. Given a choice of whether to vote for or against legislation requiring states to permit the killing of unborn children up to the moment of birth, nearly all elected Democrats vote enthusiastically for that.
It's an extreme and radical position, but it's one they hold, on the record. It is indisputable.
For example, on Feb. 28, 2022, only one Democrat senator voted no on a radical abortion bill. As Alexandra DeSanctis wrote, the bill "is an effort to 'codify Roe,' not only declaring abortion a fundamental right — for any reason, throughout all of pregnancy — but also nullifying any state law that prohibits or regulates abortion. The bill would forbid state laws protecting unborn children after they're old enough to survive outside the womb. It would nullify bans on abortions chosen for discriminatory reasons, such as the unborn child's sex or diagnosis with a disability. It would prohibit even the most modest regulations such as informed-consent laws, waiting periods, ultrasound requirements, and even safety standards for abortion clinics."
It passed the Democrat House the previous year with only two Democrats voting against it. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio, who for some time claimed to be pro-life, voted for the bill. That's how much Democrats are embracing a radical pro-abortion agenda, contrary to Welker's lies.
Guy Benson noted that the 2017-2018 Congress voted on a bill to ban abortions after 20 weeks, with exceptions. Roughly 97 percent of congressional Democrats voted against it. "Only 7 countries on earth allow barbaric abortions after 20 weeks. This is their official position, as a matter of record," Benson wrote.
Laws protecting children who have reached 15 weeks' gestation are popular. Corporate media, however, lie about the extremism of Democrats' stated position in an effort to help them politically.
When Trump mentioned that in a 2016 debate he had called Hillary Clinton out for her support of abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy, Welker falsely claimed Democrats do not support that. In fact, Clinton struggled to respond precisely because she does believe there should be no protection from abortion for any child for any reason at any point in pregnancy.
When Trump referenced that some Democrats even support having newborn children die, Welker claimed no Democrat supports that. In fact, that was a major issue in 2019 in Virginia. A Democrat delegate in the Virginia legislature named Kathy Tran pushed legislation allowing abortion even when a mother is delivering a baby, to which Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam said in support of the legislation that if such a situation were taking place, the baby would be delivered and allowed to die.
Welker lied about Democrats' actual position on abortion at least four times in her debate with Trump. Her panel of analysts to discuss her debate with Trump included Laura Jarrett, the daughter of top Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett, and two other left-wing journalists.
Trump's Response
Trump's response to the questions generated quite a bit of anger among supporters of Gov. Ron DeSantis and other pro-lifers — and rightly so. Trump was asked if he supported DeSantis' signing of a heartbeat bill, passed by the Florida legislature. That bill protects children who have detectable heartbeats from being killed.
"I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake," Trump said, part of his primary strategy of attacking DeSantis for everything, including his greatest policy achievements. Whether Trump was speaking morally or speaking politically, he was wrong. It is never a terrible thing to protect unborn children from having their lives violently ended. Thousands of babies' lives have been saved via heartbeat laws. And if by "mistake," he meant a political miscalculation, he's wrong there as well.
Govs. Brian Kemp of Georgia, Bill Lee of Tennessee, Mike DeWine of Ohio, and Greg Abbott of Texas also signed abortion bans in the months leading up to their 2022 reelections, and all of them were reelected resoundingly. DeSantis won reelection by nearly 20 points.
When the Supreme Court finally overturned the unconstitutional Roe v. Wade decision, returning abortion law to the people, it meant that state and federal legislatures could once again decide abortion law. States such as California will enact radical pro-abortion laws while other states such as Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, and Georgia will be more in line with the rest of the developed world in allowing some protections for unborn children.
To say it's a mistake for pro-life states to pass pro-life laws is simply wrong, both morally and politically.
The rest of Trump's response was mostly about finding some ground between Democrats' radical support of abortion through the moment of birth and a complete ban. While many pro-lifers want all unborn children and their mothers to be protected from the violence of abortion, there is a political argument for pointing out how radical Democrats' position is and pushing for a compromise around 15 weeks, an extremely popular position with voters. Trump's problem is that he seems to be resting on his laurels of being the first United States president to address the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., and having appointed three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs v. Jackson decision. These are admittedly impressive laurels.
Trump's 2016 election rested in large part on the support he received from pro-life voters. He served them well as president. But he should remember that the pro-life political movement didn't end with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. In many ways, the Dobbs decision merely allowed that movement to begin to fight for state and federal laws that protect unborn children and their mothers. Trump should not take continued pro-life support for granted even as he pushes against a propaganda press and attempts to make known how radical and extreme Democrats are on abortion.
Mollie Ziegler Hemingway is the Editor-in-Chief of The Federalist. She is Senior Journalism Fellow at Hillsdale College and a Fox News contributor. She is the co-author of Justice on Trial: The Kavanaugh Confirmation and the Future of the Supreme Court. She is the author of "Rigged: How the Media, Big Tech, and the Democrats Seized Our Elections." Reach her at mzhemingway@thefederalist.com
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Well, the first review is in.
Welker is another leftist hack doing "Meet the Press."
By a rightist hack.
even after birth you're allowed to terminate the baby —
DT
Please tell us what bill allows for terminating the life of a born baby.
Because that is what Trump said yesterday. I dont give a shit about what Mollie Hemingway is saying. She's not trump.
The very one she is talking about the Woman's Health Protection Act that never got by the Senate.
Democrats Push Radical Abortion Bill Far More Expansive Than Roe | The Heritage Foundation
Fact-check: Would Democratic bill allow abortion up until delivery? (statesman.com)
Btw when you use the vague term "the health of a woman" you are allowing the abortion to take place at any point a woman feels stressed or uncomfortable. Reasons for a late term abortion need to be specific.
"Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D.) commented Wednesday about a controversial 40-week abortion bill and in so doing said the law allows an abortion to take place after the infant's birth.
"If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother," Northam said, alluding to the physician and mother discussing whether the born infant should live or die.
A Democratic lawmaker in the Virginia House of Delegates proposed a bill Tuesday that would allow abortions through the end of the third trimester of pregnancy. The video of Delegate Kathy Tran presenting her bill led to an exchange where she admitted that her bill would allow for a mother to abort her child minutes before giving birth.
"How late in the third trimester could a physician perform an abortion if he indicated that it would impair the mental health of the woman?" Majority Leader Todd Gilbert (R.) asked.
"Or physical health," Tran said.
"Okay," Gilbert replied. "I'm talking about the mental health."
"I mean, through the third trimester," Tran said. "The third trimester goes up to 40 weeks."
"Okay, but to the end of the third trimester?" Gilbert asked.
"Yup, I don't think we have a limit in the bill," Tran said.
"Where it's obvious that a woman is about to give birth, she has physical signs that she's about to give birth, would that still be a point at which she could request an abortion if she was so certified?" Gilbert asked. "She's dilating."
Tran responded that is a decision between the woman and her doctor would have to make. Gilbert asked if her bill would allow an abortion right before the infant was born.
"My bill would allow that, yes," Tran said.
NBC4 reporter Julie Carey asked Northam about the measure.
"Do you support her measure and explain her answer?" Carey asked.
"I wasn't there, Julie. And I certainly can't speak for delegate Tran. But I would tell you one, the first think I would say, this is why decisions such as this should be made by providers, physicians, and the mothers and fathers that are involved," Northam said. "When we talk about third trimester abortions, these are done with the consent of obviously the mother, with the consent of the physicians, more than one physician by the way. And it is done in cases where there may be severe deformities, there may be a fetus that is non-viable."
Northam continued by saying government shouldn't be involved in these types of decisions and that legislators, especially male legislators, shouldn't be telling women what to do.
"I think this was really blown out of proportion. But again we want the government not to be involved in these types of decisions. We want the decision to be made by the mothers and their providers. And this is why Julie, that legislators, most of whom are men by the way, shouldn't be telling a woman what she should or shouldn't be doing with her body," Northam said.
Carey asked if the law should still require women to have multiple physicians approve an abortion.
"Well, I think it is always good to get a second opinion and for at least two providers to be involved in that decision," Northam said. "These decisions shouldn't be taken lightly.
Northam's office released a statement about his comments."
Northam on Abortion Bill: Infant Could Be Delivered and Then 'Physicians and the Mother' Could Decide If It Lives (freebeacon.com)
Trump told the truth!
From your link @statesman.com
A reading of the bill shows that H.R. 8296 permits abortion up until delivery, but only if it is deemed necessary to protect the life of the patient. It does not explicitly require states to keep the procedure legal in all cases past the point of fetal viability.
And the Virginia bill?
It's not a lie if you believe it. @!@
I think I'll send a copy of what Northam said to Welker.
No comment on what Northam said?
Please don't tell us you are going to try and run away?
Refusal to care for a baby is terminating it.
ll shows that H.R. 8296 permits abortion up until delivery, but only if it is deemed necessary to protect the life of the patient.
no it doesn't.
From the person who claims this: " H.R. 8296 permits abortion up until delivery, but only if it is deemed necessary to protect the life of the patient."
Lol.
As reported by a rag that gives DeSantis 50% credit for Coco Gauff's victory at the US Open? Nah!
I didn't claim it, Vic's link did.
If the baby lives through the abortion procedure, (it is born) New York allows the termination of life.
You are the one who edited it to omit the "or health" exception. The "health" exception is what permits abortion until birth.
It's just a post birth abortion at that point.
What this means is that all abortion was decriminalized. Killling a baby that had been born is still a crime.
Thanks. That's twice. Good day for you.
"Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D.) commented Wednesday about a controversial 40-week abortion bill and in so doing said the law allows an abortion to take place after the infant's birth.
You got caught!
Trump lied throughout the interview. NBC did not fact check him live , but added minimal fact checking after the fact and on their website , which a viewer would have to seek out separate from watching the interview. The interview was disgraceful, but not for the reasons you think it was.
The last time we heard that, Biden cited the 51 Intelligence experts who said the Hunter laptop sounded like "Russian Disinformation."
Now we all know Trump told the truth and Joe Biden lied.
Around the 5:90 mark of the tape:
And guest who the moderator was.
The funny thing is that the gop was celebrating Trump's triumphant interview on Meet The Press until the reviews came in saying that Trump had repulsed voters. That it was a MAGA Disaster!
Did anyone here get an invite?
In Conclusion:
The words of Ralph Northam, a democrat, have verified that Trump was telling the truth and Ms Welker lied.
Thank you all for playing.
We’re never going to solve abortion because there is just too much dishonesty in the debate. And yes, that’s both sides.