Tomi Lahren Spoke Out About Overturning 'Roe V. Wade' & I Don't Know What To Think
Conservative television host Tomi Lahren might be known for her controversial remarks, but sometimes the controversy takes a turn. On July 7, during her "Final Thoughts" segment, Tomi Lahren's comments about about overturning Roe v. Wade might have taken a few by surprise. I hesitate to admit this, but I'm a little bit proud of her.
Since Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced that he would be resigning from his seat effective July 31, the fate of historic Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case that decriminalized abortion, might be in danger. Women's rights activists and other concerned citizens are afraid that Trump plans to appoint a Supreme Court justice intent on overturning Roe v. Wade. Trump already claimed during his 2016 presidential campaign that he plans to fill the Supreme Court with conservative judges that would overturn the case, but it looks like not all conservatives support his stance on the matter, particularly Tomi Lahren. During her "Final Thoughts" segment on July 7, Lahren stated that she thought overturning Roe v. Wade would be "unlikely to succeed" and a "huge mistake" since it would further divide the American people.
“We lose when we start tampering with social issues,” she said. “Do we really want to fight for this, alienate Democrats, moderates and Libertarians all to lose in the end anyway? That’s a risk that I don’t think is worth taking.” OK, OK, so it's not a resounding endorsement of a woman's right to choose.
But she also continued,
I'm saying this as someone who would personally choose life, but also feels it's not the government's place to dictate. This isn't a black and white issue and I would never judge anyone in that position.
Wow. Cue the slow clap.
Even though Lahren's comments might be surprising to some, it's actually not the first time the conservative television personalty has spoken in support of pro-choice issues. On March 17, 2017, while still serving as a political commentator on conservative network The Blaze, Lahren announced her pro-choice stance during her appearance on The View.
She said,
I'm someone that's for limited government. So I can't sit here and be a hypocrite and say, 'I'm for limited government, but I think the government should decide what women do with their bodies.'
Naturally, Lahren's comments received less than positive reactions from her fellow conservatives. In fact, on March 21, 2017 it was revealed that Tomi Lahren had been suspended from The Blaze due to her beliefs on abortion.
I'll be honest, even though she's said it before, I'm always kind of surprised to hear Lahren support something like reproductive rights, considering how solidly right-wing her stances on other political matters like immigration and health care are. But agree with her across the board or no, it's pretty inspiring to see that the television personality is still holding true to her beliefs despite the constant backlash she receives from fellow conservatives. Following her "Final Thoughts" segment on July 7, a number of people took to Twitter to remark on Lahren's comments, and one person even claimed that Lahren was a "fake conservative" because of her pro-choice stance. Cue eye roll here.
The past few days have certainly been stressful for women's reproductive groups. Not only will this be Trump's second opportunity to pick a Supreme Court Justice during his term, but the nominee process is actually being overseen by an all male team. I can't say I'm surprised, but it still is disappointing none the less. According to The New York Times, White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, will lead the charge to fill the Supreme Court seat, while director of the Office of Public Liaison, Justin Clark, will working with conservative organizations.
Hm, a group of men overseeing a decision that will majorly affect women's rights. Welcome to Trump's America everybody.
Executive Vice President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Dawn Laguens, spoke about how dangerous this committee is for the future of women's rights. She expressed her concerns through a statement to Elite Daily on July 2.
She said,
When it comes to picking a Supreme Court nominee that could reshape women’s health in the United States for generations, the White House builds a task force of male team leaders and anti-abortion groups. It looks like Trump’s team is organized to implement his anti-abortion Trump test.
Seriously, since when did we become cast members of The Handmaid's Tale?
The future of women's rights is certainly up in the air at the moment, but there are a number of ways you can support reproductive rights organizations in the meantime.
Tomi Lahren may not be the quintessential feminist, but her comments prove that the importance of women's rights isn't a party line issue. Let get em, girls.
