Jeffery Toobin and Mia Love clash over abortion rights

CNN pundit Jeffery Toobin pressed former Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah) about her stance on abortion following news of a leaked draft decision showing the Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade.

“So having this go back to states, I feel more comfortable working in my state of Utah for a bill that is going to be better for Utahns,” Love said Tuesday evening. “And the same thing with every other state instead of nine Supreme Court Justices making one decision that everybody has to live under.”

Toobin, when he joined the panel discussion, asked Love, “What are the penalties? You know, what are the penalties? Let me ask the congresswoman.”

Speaking directly to Love, Toobin said, “I mean, you know, you think that abortion is the taking of a life.”

“Congresswoman, how many years in prison should a woman get if she just — you know, not a rape, it wasn’t a product of a rape or incest, just an unwanted pregnancy. She has an abortion in Utah. She took a life intentionally. How many years should she go to prison for?” he asked.

“I am not going to be the judge, juror or executioner,” Love responded. “I am just going to do everything I can to make sure that that woman hopefully has all of the resources and all of the information that they need so they can make an informed decision and I am going to be incredibly compassionate.”

Toobin pressed the conservative again.

“You’re a lawmaker. You’re a lawmaker,” he said. “What are the penalties? How many years in prison for that one?”

“I am not going to put somebody in prison for an unwanted pregnancy,” she shot back. “But what I said I would do is try and protect life. And I think we should all be in the business of protecting life. It doesn’t mean that you have to take somebody else’s life away to protect an unborn child.”