DeSantis Campaign Manager Calls Federal Abortion Ban an ‘Extreme Hypothetical’: Can’t Let It ‘Distract’ From Other Issues

Florida Governor and GOP presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis’s campaign manager called a potential federal abortion ban an “extreme hypothetical” on ABC the day after a disappointing election night for Republicans, and less than two months after DeSantis himself said he supported such a ban.

Asked if yesterday’s results in Ohio, where a successful ballot measure created a constitutional right to abortion in the state, indicated that DeSantis should change his tune on the issue, James Uthmeier said that DeSantis “is unapologetically a pro-life leader” who would “sign pro-life legislation,” before casting doubt on the idea that such a bill would ever come across his desk.

“He [DeSantis] recognizes in the wake of the Dobbs decision that states are going to come down differently, and we as conservatives need to do a better job of messaging and working on the issues,” argued Uthmeier. He continued:

The idea that Congress right now — as dysfunctional as it is — is going to send over some bill like that is just not realistic; I think that’s an extreme hypothetical. But at the end of the day, Ron DeSantis is a father of three. He’s talked about, you know, how emotional it is to hear that heartbeat of your child for the first time. And that’s why he did sign a heartbeat bill in Florida, just as leaders have done in Iowa, Georgia and Ohio. So as states come out differently, we’ll continue to work on these issues. But at the end of the day, we can’t let extreme hypotheticals be shoved down our throat and distract from all the other important issues that are at hand. And again, Americans are suffering today. You’ve got to make six figures to be able to buy your first home. And that’s not the world we live in. We’ve got to restore the American dream. And Ron DeSantis has proven time again. He doesn’t just fight, but he wins. And ultimately, in light of the sweeping losses for Republicans last night, we need a proven winner.

In Florida, DeSantis signed a ban on abortion after six weeks. He has struck a more ardent pro-life tone on the campaign trail than both Donald Trump — who has called DeSantis’s six-week ban a “terrible thing” — and Nikki Haley, who has urged the GOP to try to find “consensus.”

Watch above via ABC.