Lindsey Graham confronted at anti-abortion event by woman whose unborn child had fatal abnormality

A Highland Park shooting survivor challenged the South Carolina senator on what exceptions his bill does and does not make

Republican senator Lindsey Graham was met with protests upon unveiling a nationwide proposal to ban abortion, including from one woman who confronted him inside an anti-abortion event in Washington DC.

On Tuesday, Mr Graham announced a nationwide bill that would ban abortion after 15 weeks before being confronted by Ashbey Beasley, a survivor of the 4 July Highland Park shooting.

She told the room of anti-abortion supporters and the South Carolina senator that she had the choice to give birth to her son after learning of a fetal abnormality at 16 weeks.

“We were allowed to make that choice for him,” Ms Beasley said of her son, who she said was “incompatible with life” and died eight days after being born. “You would be robbing that choice from those women. What would you to say someone like me?”

Mr Graham, appearing uncomfortable, replied: “The world has pretty much spoken on this issue. The developed world has said at this stage of the pregnancy, the child feels pain, and we’re saying we’re going to join the rest of the world and not be like Iran.’

“As to your particular case,” he continued, “there will be exceptions for life of the mother, rape and incest”.

Pointing out that his anti-abortion bill did not include any such exceptions, Ms Beasley continued: “Yes, but there are no exceptions in this bill”.

“Well ma’am,” said Mr Graham, “there are 55,000 abortions after the 15 week period and I think we’re resolved to getting America back in line with the rest of the world”.

He went on to accuse Democrats and abortion campaigners of being “wackos” and called for his legislation to be debated in the House and Senate, which are currently controlled by Democrats and would unlikely pass.

Analysts argued on Tuesday that both houses could remain in Democrat hands after November’s midterms as a result of Mr Graham and the GOP’s hard-line stance on abortion rights.

Mitch McConnell, the Republican senator minority leader, told reporters: “I think every Republican senator running this year in these contested races has an answer as to how they feel about the issue, so I leave it up to our candidates who are quite capable of handling this issue to determine for them what their response is.” 

Nancy Pelosi, the Democrat speaker of the House, said following Mr Graham’s announcement that it was the “clearest signal of extreme MAGA Republicans’ intent to criminalise women’s health freedom in all 50 states and arrest doctors for providing basic care.”

She continued: “Make no mistake: if Republicans get the chance, they will work to pass laws even more draconian than this bill.” 

In June, a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center found a majority of Americans, or 61 per cent, in favour of abortion being legal in “all” or “most cases”, with Democrat respondents at 80 per cent and Republicans at 38 per cent.