Tony Perkins has a problem with Sen. Marco Rubio.
The prominent evangelical Christian leader, who heads up the Family Research Council, called out the Florida senator on X on Sunday, accusing him of capitulating “to the forces of abortion.”
“I’m stunned,” Perkins said.
Marco Rubio’s position on abortion
Perkins’ tweet stemmed from comments Rubio made about a national abortion ban during a CNN appearance on Sunday.
When asked to address the Republican Party’s position on abortion, Rubio said it would make sense to change the party platform to match former President Donald Trump’s views.
“I think our platform has to reflect our nominee, and our nominee’s position happens to be one ground in reality,” he said.
For years, the GOP platform has included a call for a national abortion ban. That call goes against Trump’s position on abortion, which is that abortion policy should be left up to states.
“Many states will be different, many will have a different number of weeks, or some will have more conservative than others, and that’s what they will be,” Trump said in a video shared on Truth Social in April, as the Deseret News reported at the time.
GOP platform on abortion
In his X post, Perkins accused Rubio of misrepresenting what’s really going on in the national political landscape and within the Republican Party.
“There are so many inaccuracies in his comments that I don’t know where to start. First, a human life amendment has never been within political reach, it has always been aspirational and so it should remain,” he said.
Anti-abortion voters will not respond well to a platform change, Perkins added.
“I can assure you that if the GOP abandons the unborn in the Party Platform, it will dampen Bible-believing, conservative voter enthusiasm and turnout,” he said.
CNN’s Dana Bash cited Perkins and other supporters of a federal ban on abortion while interviewing Rubio, asking him to respond to their concern that changing the GOP platform will “depress enthusiasm for Donald Trump among core, anti-abortion grassroots voters.”
Rubio pushed back against that concern, noting that it’s safe to assume that Republican voters who support a national abortion ban won’t be voting for a Democrat anytime soon.
“I don’t think there’s much of an option here,” he said.
Will Marco Rubio be Trump’s VP?
Rubio’s comments on a national abortion ban come as he reportedly pushes to be chosen as Trump’s 2024 running mate.
Rubio, along with Sen. J.D. Vance and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, is thought to be on Trump’s short list of vice presidential candidates, according to The Associated Press.
Although political insiders believe the Trump campaign has not yet settled on anyone, the final decision could come as soon as this week, the article said.
Source Agencies
