Ron DeSantis says ‘liberal’ New Hampshire would reject Florida-style abortion ‘Heartbeat Bill’

Gov. Ron DeSantis says he’s ready to make America Florida, except when it comes to protecting the rights of the unborn.

In that case, the “Never Back Down” motto seems to leave a wide berth for compromise on the controversial issue of reproductive rights.

In remarks Saturday in Manchester, New Hampshire, the Florida Governor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate said “liberal” states like New Hampshire wouldn’t accept a nationalized version of the Sunshine State’s Heartbeat Protection Act, which bans abortion after the sixth week of gestation except in the case of rare exceptions.

“Look, I think I understand that, you know, you’re going to have different states do that differently. I don’t, I don’t think like a New Hampshire is going to do what Iowa did,” DeSantis said, referencing Iowa’s own six-week abortion ban.

“And I recognize that I understand that, I understand Pennsylvania may not do what Texas did. But I think in places where you have an opportunity to make an impact, you know, we want to stand on the side of a culture of life.”

DeSantis went on to suggest the Granite State wasn’t a place where such an “impact” could be made, however.

“I mean, New Hampshire, for example, is more liberal than some of these states say in like the South or the Midwest.”

Saturday’s comments in Manchester continue a trend of the Governor softening his abortion message now that he’s away from the people upon whom he’s imposed one of the most restrictive laws in the country.

“I’m pro-life. I have a record of promoting a culture of life in Florida, just like they’ve done in Iowa, just like they’ve done in South Carolina. Dobbs returned it to the political branches. I think the reality is that basically means the states are going to have primary control over it. You know, I do think the federal government would have an interest in, say, preventing post-birth abortions or things that are really horrific, but I don’t think that there’s enough consensus in the country to see a lot of mileage in Congress,” Ron DeSantis said August 7 on NBC News’ “Today” show.

“What I’ve said is, you know, if you want to protect life, it’s a bottom-up movement. And so, let’s work with states that have done it. Work in your local communities. But you also have to understand, you know, what Iowa’s done is not what New Hampshire is going to do, and what Wisconsin will do is not what Texas is going to do,” DeSantis added.

DeSantis has said at various points that New Hampshire, New England, New York and California wouldn’t accept a national Heartbeat Protection Act, though he has messaged on the law in Iowa, which has its own version of the law.

“I’m conscious of the diversity of opinion in the United States, New England is different than Wisconsin is different than Georgia. You know, but at the end of the day, you know, we do want to promote a culture of life,” DeSantis said during an interview on WMUR’s “Conversations with the Candidate.”

DeSantis’ abortion positioning has not gone unnoticed on the right. The Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group has groused that the Governor’s belief that the pro-life movement is a “bottom-up” movement is “unacceptable.”