Nikki Haley: Federal abortion ban is unrealistic

Instituting a federal abortion ban is not “realistic,” Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley said Sunday.

“I'm not going to lie to the American people. Nothing's going to happen if we don't get 60 votes in the Senate. We're not even close to that on the Republican or the Democrat side.” Haley said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” when pressed about what kind of limits on abortion she would seek if elected president.

"At the federal level, it's not realistic. It's not being honest with the American people," she added.

Haley, who describes herself as against abortion, has faced backlash for not pinpointing her stance on abortion rights. The former South Carolina governor promised to address the topic “openly” and “directly,” but has shied away from getting too specific.

"Why not talk about the fact that we should be trying to save as many babies as possible and support as many mothers as possible?” she said to host Margaret Brennan on Sunday.

In April, Haley, the only woman to enter the GOP primary so far, called for a “national consensus” on abortion to “save as many lives and help as many moms as possible.”

On Sunday, the former ambassador to the United Nations called for the elimination of “late-term abortions,” and voiced support for adoption and increased access to contraception. As governor in 2016, she signed a law that banned abortions in South Carolina after 20 weeks.

“You know, there's some states that have been pro-life, I welcome that. There are some states that have erred on the side of abortion. I wish that wasn't the case, but it is. I think that we need to make sure that people's voices are heard,” Haley said Sunday.