ABC News’ Cecilia Vega Repeatedly Presses Psaki: Will Biden Consider Roe Decision ‘Legitimate?’

ABC News White House correspondent Cecilia Vega repeatedly pressed White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on whether President Joe Biden would consider a Supreme Court decision to overturn the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade to be a “legitimate” one – and did not get a direct answer.

Politico obtained a draft decision that would overturn Roe and reported on it on Monday night. Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday confirmed the authenticity of the draft, condemned the leak, and announced an investigation into who leaked it.

“And as for the content of the draft — the document, the draft — it is, of course, a draft — but if the Supreme Court does move to strike down Roe, should Americans be prepared to just accept that decision as legitimate?” asked Vega during Wednesday’s White House press briefing. “And would President Biden accept that decision as legitimate?”

Psaki replied:

Well, I can’t speak for what actions could be possible on the legal front; I would point you to the Department of Justice on that.

But what I can tell you will happen is — and this is what we are preparing for the possibility of — that if Roe were to fall, abortion would probably be illegal in about half the states in the country, up to 26 states, particularly in the South, the Midwest, and West, who have all spoken out — many leaders — about how they’re poised to restrict or ban access. Some have even taken action, even as recently as yesterday, as crazy as that sounds.

And depending on the Court’s position — decision — 13 states even have trigger laws. Trigger laws mean they would basically immediately put in place bans. And as a result of all of this, tens of millions of women may lack access to reproductive healthcare services as soon as this summer, if that were a decision to be made.

Psaki continued:

I’d also note — and as we’re thinking about and working with not just the Gender Policy Council but also the Department of Health and Human Services, also members on the Hill, also the Counsel’s Office, what we’re really focused on is the impact this would have. It would dramatically reduce access to reproductive care, particularly for women with low incomes, women of color, women in rural communities.

We know that 75 percent of those seeking abortions are living at or below 200 percent of the poverty level, and the majority of patients seeking abortions identify as Black, Hispanic, and AAPI.

So if you look at the 26 states, let’s take for example — or the 13 to 26, depending — and you look at a map, that means that women — the majority of whom are below that poverty level and are Black, Hispanic, or AAPI — are going to be forced to figure out how to travel, how to take time off of work, how to get childcare. It is a prohibitive cost. It will not be safe. And that is what we are focused on working to address as we’re making policy decisions and considerations.

Vegas followed up and asked, “So it — it sounds like you’re saying, then, that’s a yes — he would consider this a legitimate decision.”

“Well, there is not even a decision yet. We don’t know the validity of the — we know that this is a leaked document; it is not the final opinion,” responded Psaki. “So, I just can’t speak to that hypothetically at this point in time.”

Watch above, via The White House.