Republican senators of Texas, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are doing everything they can to neo dodge questions about the fate of Katie Cox, a mother of two. Who has now drawn sustained national attention after their state Supreme Court blocked her from getting a medically [00:00:18] necessary abortion after her fetus received a fatal diagnosis. It is like a prototypical case of what their supposed exceptions to their abortion bans are supposed to allow. It is a non viable fetus, and forcing her to continue the pregnancy risks her life [00:00:34] and her ability to have children in the future. This should be a slam dunk, easiest thing in the world, and they refuse to actually say what they think. So according to NBC News, they were notably skittish when they were asked to weigh in on Cox's situation, [00:00:49] given multiple opportunities to respond to questions. You had John Corden saying, I'm not a state official, so I'm not gonna comment on what state officials are doing, I'm happy to comment on anything that I'm responsible for. When asked whether he was worried that the health of women in this state may be at [00:01:06] risk because of the Texas law. By the way, I don't know that this matters, but it feels like it matters that he used to be on the Texas Supreme Court and you don't have a thought about it. You and Ted Cruz don't feel like you should be weighing in on what's going on [00:01:22] in America unless it directly applies to your job. You guys seem pretty freed up mentally to talk about this stuff when it doesn't make you look terrible. So anyway, five times he would not answer questions about it, despite it taking place in his state. [00:01:38] Despite him being part of a Republican Senate caucus that could well advance a federal abortion ban where Donald Trump or another Republican to become president in 2024. Ted Cruz, by the way, was pressed about the case three times and repeatedly told NBC News to call his press office without engaging further, [00:01:55] the press office did not respond to a request for comment. So suddenly he doesn't have anything to say, his press office doesn't have anything to say. Weirdly, after the fall of Roe v Wade, he called the Texas ban that was passed a massive victory. But wait a second, you don't wanna talk about what is happening at the state legislative level, [00:02:13] but when they passed the bill, you thought it was the best thing ever. We need to cheer, break out the champagne. So weird how that works when the inevitable consequences of that massive victory come due, suddenly you don't wanna look at the bill. [00:02:29] Adrian, what do you make of their craving behavior? >> Speaker 2: You know what, you're spot on, they don't wanna be a part of it when they actually have to face some kind of consequences in some way. When they actually have to answer questions, when really we get to see that [00:02:44] the man behind a curtain is really just somebody who hates women. And that was really the objective here, and they knew that from the jump. >> Speaker 1: 100%, by the way, they're, like all skittish, they don't want to answer questions. And again, why are they skittish? They're skittish for the same reason that we have been saying every show for years now. [00:03:04] They know on a fundamental level, America doesn't agree with them, has never agreed with them, and will never under any circumstances agree with them on the topic of abortion. They know it, every one of the boneheads in independent right wing media knows it. [00:03:19] They lie and pretend that they can persuade people. But we've got a track record going back twice as long as they've been alive that they cannot win over a majority of America, and they know it. Which is why when they pass these bills, they try to hide behind the supposed [00:03:34] exceptions that they have no interest of ever having anyone actually fall under. And when asked the right questions about it, they're always, no, we're not gonna go any farther or anything, we don't wanna do it. As soon as they get the chance, they'll pass it, but they know how unpopular that'll be, so they evade responsibility, and we have a great example of that. [00:03:53] Here's Steve Daines, National Republican senatorial committee chairman. Not saying whether the position on abortion will be a liability for Ted Cruz, with Colin Allred challenging him in the Senate position next year. But he does say, we do not support a federal ban on all abortions, [00:04:10] we'll return to that in a sec. Democrats who said we do, that's all lie. Second, we believe there should be exceptions of rape, incest and health in the life of the mother. We've already pointed out that doesn't mean anything, doesn't mean anything if you can't actually fall under the exceptions. Third, there should be reasonable limits placed on late term abortions with [00:04:26] exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. Contrast that reasonable position to the Democrats position that I will now invent, which is to put no limits for taxpayer funded abortions up until the very moment of birth, who is saying that? Which candidate for the senate, which candidate for the presidency? [00:04:45] Can you come up with one well known, powerful, well connected Democrat who has ever even hinted at that? Now you might say, well, that's not fair cuz, John, you're saying that when he says they don't support a federal ban on abortion, well, you're not providing receipts. [00:05:01] No, I'll happily provide receipts, Donald Trump has dodged questions about it, what do you think that means? You're gonna risk your future on the fact that he's not going to say what he actually thinks? By the way, Ron DeSantis and Niki Haley have specifically said that they do support it. Multiple senators have already said that they would support it at a variety of [00:05:17] different levels. At 6 weeks, at 15 weeks, they're on the record, Steve Daines is simply lying about that. And I would if I were him, too, honestly, look at how they have to respond when the focus is on abortion nationally. [00:05:32] They lie about what the Democrats support, saying they support abortion up until 5 seconds before birth or whatever, as if that's a thing that ever happens or if anybody actually supports that. And then they hide again behind these fake, made up exceptions that don't mean a damn in the real world. [00:05:50] We can see through that, he knows that those who are paying attention can see through it. They're just hoping to dilute enough people because even many Republicans don't support their positions on this. Apologies again, Adrian, what do you think about this and the politics of it, [00:06:05] will this actually be a thing that affects Ted Cruz's Senate race? >> Speaker 2: Okay, so, number one, you have nothing to apologize for. I'm so disappointed to have to say, but I unfortunately don't necessarily know that it will in fact, affect Ted Cruz or any of the other Republicans' races, [00:06:23] in part because a lot of this is ingrained because of patriarchy. We gotta be honest, there are so many women out there who are fully and completely aware that there are going to be laws passed that do not favor them. But they're going to continue to vote for [00:06:38] individuals who really uplift these laws because of patriarchy. And I think that's also what these Republicans are well aware of. They know that it has a stronghold on so many women voters out there that they're willing to continue to vote against their interests, and that's what they are counting on. [00:06:54] And I think that that's what we're gonna see, unfortunately, and I feel really kind of gross about it. But I remember asking myself, I really wonder what Cox and her husband, who they voted for down there in Texas. And if this entire situation is going to change their vote the next time they get an opportunity to have a say so. [00:07:10] Because unfortunately, I don't know that it will and that's what these Republicans are counting on. >> Speaker 1: Yeah, I honestly don't know. I've never seen her talk about her actual politics where she said she had never thought that she would ever need to or want to have an abortion, that's all I know. [00:07:26] But, yeah, the entire thing is utterly ridiculous. By the way, we're gonna move on to another aspect of this in a second, to some extent gloss over when they claim that Democrats support abortion up until the minute of the birth. [00:07:42] But I want you to pause mentally on that for a second because I want you to attempt briefly to get in the head of a person who believes that there is a single person capable of being pregnant in this country. [00:07:58] Who would get pregnant, carry the fetus for nine months and then a minute before giving birth, think, you know what? No, actually, I'm not going to do that. >> Speaker 2: I love that you said that, John, cuz that's exactly what I was thinking. [00:08:13] I was like, nobody would put their body through that level of hell just to at the last minute say, let's have it all for nothing. I know I have all these stretch marks, I know my body's completely distorted. I've risen my chance of having diabetes and all these other health concerns. No, I'm not gonna do this, yeah, right. [00:08:31] No one does that, what are you talking about? >> Speaker 1: No, 100%. And by the way, what does the guy making that claim that he at least pretends or thinks that a woman could do that? What does that say about what he thinks of women, that he thinks of their mind? [00:08:49] He doesn't think that they're humans, he doesn't think that they're understandable, reasonable people that are fully human in the way that he is. He doesn't, he thinks they're cartoons, they're caricatures or monsters. >> Speaker 2: We can't be trusted, we don't make logical decisions. [00:09:05] Basically, we're children, we're toddlers. >> Hundred percent. [MUSIC]