Pence, Scott pile on DeSantis over stance on nationwide abortion restrictions

A pair of GOP presidential candidates took aim Monday night at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his refusal to support nationwide abortion restrictions after the country's leading anti-abortion group criticized his stance.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America slammed DeSantis’ failure to support federal abortion restrictions on Monday, calling it “unacceptable.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence posted on X, formally known as Twitter, that pro-life Americans will “have a champion in the White House!” if he wins the election, linking out to the SBA’s public statement lambasting DeSantis. A staunch anti-abortion candidate, Pence has said he'd support banning abortion nationally after six weeks of pregnancy, a restriction DeSantis enacted in Florida.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) first criticized the Florida governor, saying that “Republicans should not be retreating on life.”

SBA's criticism of DeSantis came in response to a recent interview in which the Florida governor said abortion policy would be best decided by the states. In the interview, DeSantis stressed that he would bring his views on abortion into the Oval Office, and that he would “be a leader with the bully pulpit to help local communities and states advance the cause of life." But DeSantis said he lacked confidence that Congress would do “anything meaningful” to institute nationwide abortion restrictions.

The anti-abortion group's broadside landed amid a DeSantis campaign shakeup. The governor has struggled to catch up to the frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, in the presidential race for the Republican ticket. A poll released on Monday found Trump ahead of DeSantis by 37 percent. Both Pence and Scott polled at just 3 percent.