On Fox & Friends, Newt Gingrich claims Democrats “are increasingly fanatic” on abortion

Gingrich: Some Democrats “are basically pro-infanticide. They are willing to kill the baby after it’s born.”

Special Programs Abortion Rights & Reproductive Health

Written by Julie Tulbert

Published

On the March 5 edition of Fox & Friends, Fox News contributor Newt Gingrich falsely claimed that Democrats are “pro-infanticide” and “willing to kill the baby after it's born.” Gingrich’s claims fit seamlessly into right-wing media's 2020 playbook in which they have made lying about the Democratic position on abortion a centerpiece and painted Democrats as “extreme” on the issue. In addition, Gingrich downplayed the very real threat of anti-abortion violence -- spurred in part by right-wing media figures -- by inflating comments made by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in response to a Supreme Court hearing on June Medical Services v. Russo, a case about an anti-abortion Louisiana law.

From the March 5, 2020, edition of Fox & Friends

STEVE DOOCY (CO-HOST): OK, so Newt, to a lot of people it sounded like Mr. Schumer was threatening two Supreme Court justices.

NEWT GINGRICH: Well, of course he was. Look, he was in front of a crowd. They were fanatically committed to the maximum opportunity to kill children, and they were all revved up, he was revved up, and he got carried away. And what he said was pure demagoguery -- it was totally irresponsible and dangerous. As you know, we live in a country where you start getting a senior politician by name attacking Supreme Court justices, that's actually posing a danger to those justices, which is why Chief Justice Roberts spoke out so strongly. But I think it tells you the level of passion that you have on the left about a whole range of issues, because they see their world starting to collapse and they're beginning to get more and more desperate, and Schumer yesterday was just an illustration of that desperation.

AINSLEY EARHARDT (CO-HOST): You know, the Catholic Church preaches pro-life, and there was a sign that was being held up right next to him that said “protecting abortion access is a Catholic value." Look at that sign right there next to him. What are your thoughts?

GINGRICH: My thoughts are that it's a free country and, you know, people can basically make up anything you want to. That certainly would not be the position of the Catholic Church as an institution. It would not be the position of any of the bishops or cardinals, and it wouldn't be the position of the Pope. So -- but look, you have a lot of politicians, Joe Biden is one, Nancy Pelosi is another, who are Catholic, who grew up in the church, and who have become pro-abortion. Some of them to such a degree that they are basically pro-infanticide. They are willing to kill the baby after it’s born. Somehow they justify that in their minds. Most of the country, most Americans, do not think that abortion in the seventh, eighth, and ninth month or killing the baby after it's born -- as the governor of Virginia advocated -- they don't think that's acceptable, moral, or legitimate, and that's a real challenge for the Democrats because they are increasingly fanatic on this issue.