Chris Wallace Grills Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Over Radical Anti-Abortion Bill

***CONTENT WARNING: This post discusses rape and sexual assault.***

When Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed SB 8 into law, he kicked off a national debate about reproductive rights and the future of Roe v. Wade. The draconian law, which outlaws abortion after six weeks (long before most folks know they are pregnant) also outlaws abortions in cases of rape and incest. Abbott responded by claiming that he would simply eliminate rape in Texas, saying “Rape is a crime, and Texas will work tirelessly to make sure that we eliminate all rapists from the streets of Texas by aggressively going out and arresting them and prosecuting them and getting them off the streets.”

In an interview on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, the host questioned Abbott’s claims of eliminating rape entirely. Wallace noted that in 2019, almost 15,000 rapes were reported in Texas, adding, “Almost everyone says that’s a severe undercount, there are a lot more cases that just aren’t reported. Is it reasonable to say to somebody who is the victim of rape, and might not understand that they are pregnant until six weeks, ‘Well, don’t worry about it, because we’re going to eliminate rape as a problem in the state of Texas?’”

Abbott sidesteps the question by saying he is establishing a “sexual assault survivors task force,” which is something he didn’t feel compelled to do until passing this extreme abortion law. Also, he doesn’t address the ludicrousness of completely eliminating something as pervasive as sexual assault, a crime which has a less than 1% conviction rate.

Wallace, Fox News’s lone credible journalist (it’s a low bar), kept pressing the issue of rape survivors being forced to carry their pregnancies to term, which Abbott repeatedly dismissed. Wallace also asked Abbott if he would sign an amendment allowing exclusions for rape and incest, but Abbott refused to address it, saying that such an amendment wouldn’t make it through the republican state legislature.

When he’s not promising to eliminate rape, Abbott is busy ordering an audit of the 2020 presidential election in multiple counties at the behest of Donald Trump (despite Trump WINNING the state by 5.5 points). Abbott is seeing plummeting job approval scores, with only 41% approval from voters. He faces a tough re-election challenge next year, as Democrat Beto O’Rourke enters the race.

Between ignoring and dismissing the pandemic, overseeing the failure of his state’s electrical grid, and waging all-out war on reproductive rights, Gov. Abbott has been a disaster for Texas. If you want to donate to kick him out of office, you can do so HERE.

And if you want to help fight Texas’s hideous anti-abortion bill, you can donate to groups like The Lilith Fund which provides financial assistance and emotional support for Texans seeking abortions, the Texas Equal Action Fund, and Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

(image: screencap/Fox News)

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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