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Rudy Giuliani Takes Another 180-Degree Turn on Abortion Ban

April 20, 2007

This week, Rudy Giuliani changed his position yet again on a key issue. Even though he previously opposed a federal abortion ban, Giuliani praised the Supreme Court decision upholding the ban. Rudy's statement saying that the court "reached the correct conclusion" flies in the face of his previous position "to preserve the option for women." [Los Angeles Times, 4/19/07]

Throughout his career, Rudy Giuliani has been caught making a series of conflicting statements and flip-flops about the federal abortion ban. Ironically, when he was asked whether he supports a ban, Giuliani said "no, I have not supported that, and I don't see my position on that changing." [CNN Inside Politics, 12/2/99]

"Rudy Giuliani continues to offer weak leadership by changing his positions on the key issues facing our country," said Democratic National Committee spokesperson Amaya Smith. "No doubt his series of conflicting statements and contradictions may explain his thinning lead in the polls. Americans want a strong leader that stands on principle, not cheap political ploys designed to win elections like we've seen from Rudy Giuliani."

2007: White House Candidate Giuliani Says He Supports Ban On "Partial Birth Abortions"
"The Supreme Court reached the correct conclusion in upholding the congressional ban on partial birth abortion. I agree with it." [Giuliani statement, 4/18/07]

• Irony Alert: Rudy Said In 2000 He Wouldn't Change His Position On This Issue To Gain Votes
  Talking about "partial birth" abortions costing him conservative support in his Senate run, Giuliani said: "I'm not going to twist myself all around for anybody's endorsement. I wouldn't do it for the Republican endorsement, much less the Liberal or the Conservative or any other. They know who I am. If they think I'll be a better senator, they should support me. If they don't think I'll be a better senator, they should support somebody else. [Special Report With Brit Hume, Fox News Channel, 2/8/00]
• Ludicrous Claim: "I've Been Consistent"
  "Mr. Giuliani's campaign aides say his positions on abortion have not changed, and that his stand on what critics call partial-birth abortions has been mischaracterized, saying he opposed a ban only if it failed to include an exception to protect the life of the mother. But the ban vetoed by President Clinton did include such an exception." [New York Times, 2/10/07]

2005: "Opposes the "partial-birth" abortion ban" [US News And World Report, 9/5/05]

2000: Tells ABC Support "Firm": Asked by George Will "Is your support of partial birth abortion firm?," Giuliani replied "All of my positions are firm." [ABC News' This Week, 2/6/00]

2000: Tells CNN "I Support" Clinton On Veto Of Ban, Noting His Consistent Stance On The Issue: CNN's Wolf Blitzer asked: "If you were in the Senate and [Clinton] vetoed, once again, the so-called partial-birth abortion procedure, you would vote against sustaining that against the -- in favor of the veto in other words, you would support the president on that? Giuliani replied: "Yes. I said then that I support him, so I have no reason to change my mind about it." [CNN Late Edition, 2/6/00]

2000: Tells NBC He Opposes The Ban: Asked by Tim Russert," if you were a senator, would you vote with the president or against the president?" on the "partial birth abortion" ban, Giuliani said "I would vote to preserve the option for women." [Meet The Press, NBC, 2/6/00]

1999: Tells CNN "I Don't See My Position On That Changing: Asked "whether he supports a ban on what critics call partial-birth abortions," Giuliani said "no, I have not supported that, and I don't see my position on that changing." [CNN Inside Politics, 12/2/99]

Giuliani Has "Hedged" In The Past Before Facing A New Electorate
In 1999, the Associated Press noted Giuliani was "hedging" on "partial birth abortion" as he considered a US Senate run, moving away from his previous stance: "Republican Rudolph Giuliani, weighing a bid for the U.S. Senate and perhaps courting support from New York's Conservative Party, appears to be hedging on past strong support for abortion rights. "That's something I think that I'll address myself to if and when I announce and I get a chance to think out all of those positions," the New York City mayor said when asked about his past opposition to a ban on what critics call partial-birth abortions." [Associated Press, 8/17/99]

1998 Interview On White House Ambitions Foretold 2007 Flip Flop
While during his Senate bid in 2000 Giuliani couldn't have been clearer about his position on a federal ban of "partial birth abortions," a 1998 interview with CNN about his potential to be a national candidate showed Giuliani hedging his bets. Wolf Blitzer asked: "Do you think someone like you, who supports a woman's right to have an abortion, could have a place at the top or at least the number-two slot of the Republican Party's presidential ticket?" and "does that also hold for the late-term abortion procedure that's called the partial-birth abortion procedure?" Giuliani's answer was that it was up to states: "I think that's more complicated, state to state. I mean, different states have different rules and different regulations, and I think that gets to be more complicated." [CNN's Late Edition, 4/19/98]