Jensen and his running mate have repeatedly pledged to ban abortion even for victims of rape and incest
Today, after promising to ban abortion, after confirming his abortion ban would have no exceptions for rape and incest, and after selecting a notoriously anti-abortion running mate, Scott Jensen is trying desperately to walk back his support for a draconian abortion ban.
Here’s what Scott Jensen said to WCCO two months ago in May about his ideal abortion ban:
INTERVIEWER: “No exceptions for rape or incest?”
JENSEN: “Unless a mother’s life is in danger.”
Jensen has taken this position repeatedly, doubling down on the idea that only the life/health of the mother is the “one exception” to his abortion ban. As recently as July 7, Jensen emphasized that he opposes abortion for an otherwise healthy victim of rape/incest because “you don’t necessarily have a chance to prove that.” Birk doubled down on this position 8 days ago — and emphasized that Scott Jensen agreed with him.
Jensen’s attempted reversal comes after weeks of public outrage over a speech delivered by his running mate, Matt Birk, in which Birk compared abortion to slavery, accused abortion advocates of playing “the rape card,” and said our culture “stealthily promotes abortion” by telling women they should have careers.
“There is no reason to assume that a Governor Scott Jensen would not attempt to pass the abortion ban — without exceptions for rape and incest — that he has repeatedly supported,” said DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin. “Scott Jensen’s campaign has been scrambling to limit the fallout of his unpopular position, especially after his running mate’s outrageous remarks about survivors and playing ‘the rape card.’ It is no surprise that Jensen is trying to run from his own extremism, but it is not going to work. Minnesotans are too smart to trust empty promises from a desperate politician and award-winning liar like Scott Jensen.”
