Hillary Clinton had some harsh words for her fellow Democrats over their failure to protect abortion rights in the years leading up to the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade.
In an interview with The New York TimesClinton, 76, discussed her upcoming book, “The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America” and what she believed a second Trump administration will look like.
The former Democratic presidential candidate accused her party of being too complacent by underestimating the formidable power of the pro-life movement in the lead-up to Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, when the Supreme Court overturned nearly fifty years of legalized abortion. the federal level.
“We didn't take it seriously and we didn't understand the threat,” Clinton said. “Most Democrats, most Americans, didn't realize that we are in an existential battle for the future of this country.”
In an interview with the New York Times, Hillary Clinton recently discussed her upcoming book, “The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America.” (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Clinton argued that Democrats failed to pass legislation codifying abortion rights into federal law — even when they controlled the Senate — because they could not fathom that abortion rights would ever be in jeopardy.
Clinton said she gave proper credit for never giving up. She lamented that Democrats do not have the organization and funding for institutions like The Federalist Society to counter the influence of the right.
“[The right is] mercilessly. You know, they take a loss, they get back on their feet, they regroup, they raise more money,” Clinton said. 'The way they operate is extremely impressive. And we don't have anything comparable on our side.”
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Clinton said she was dismissed as alarmist when she predicted in 2016 that a Trump presidency would lead to the overturning of abortion rights. She predicted that many would fire her again this election cycle, which she described as “existential.”
“I mean, if we don't make the right decision in this election in our country, we may never have an actual election again,” Clinton said. “I will put that out there because I believe it. And if we no longer have a real election, we will be ruled by a small minority of right-wing forces that are well organized, well financed and get exactly what they want. in terms of turning back the clock for women.”
Hillary Clinton speaks at “A Special Evening With Hillary Clinton,” February 19, in Berlin, Germany. (Franziska Krug/Getty Images)
The release of the interview comes days after former President Trump said he would “never advocate imposing restrictions on contraception,” and vowed to ensure the Republican Party would not support a ban on contraceptives.
Last month, the GOP hopeful emphasized its support for states setting their own abortion laws, as long as there are exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. He also reaffirmed his support for in vitro fertilization.
He qualified that Republicans “must always be on the side of the miracle of life and on the side of mothers, fathers and their beautiful babies.”
President Biden and his re-election campaign have claimed that Trump will support a nationwide abortion ban and impose restrictions on contraception.
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The latest Fox News Poll shows that the issue of abortion is the biggest issue among self-identified Democrats (24%), suburban women (24%), self-identified very liberals (23%), black voters (17%), those with a university degree (17%) and voters under 30 years old (16%).
Fox News Digital's Brooke Singerman contributed to this report.
