During one of the more heated exchanges in the presidential debate on September 10, former Republican President Donald Trump went after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on abortion rights, claiming Walz has said “abortion in the ninth month is absolutely fine.”
“He also says execution after birth — it’s execution, no longer abortion because the baby is born — is OK, and that’s not OK with me,” Trump said.
Walz, who is Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, has made abortion rights one of his central issues as he stumps on the campaign trail for the Democratic ticket. He’s also taken heat from Republicans — both nationally and in Minnesota — for what they consider extreme abortion policies passed in the state after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
But Walz, while supporting broad access to abortion care, has never said abortion in the ninth month is “absolutely fine,” nor has he said that execution of an infant after birth is OK. That is known as infanticide, which is illegal in every state, including Minnesota.
Walz was asked to respond to Trump’s false claim during the Oct. 1 debate between Walz and Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance. The Minnesota governor used the moment to highlight the state’s abortion rights protections.
“Spreading such vile misinformation about abortion is despicable — and completely on brand for Donald Trump,” Minnesota U.S. Sen. Tina Smith posted to X on Tuesday. “Women deserve better. So much better.”
Minnesota abortion laws
Republicans have criticized bills Walz signed in 2023, including updates to old abortion laws and codifying abortion access protections into statute.
The Protect Reproductive Options Act, which Walz signed in January 2023, reinforced standards established in Doe v. Gomez, a 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling. That ruling affirmed women’s right to abortion under the Minnesota constitution and allowed low-income women to use the state’s Medical Assistance program to cover the costs of the procedure.