GOP’s Doug Mastriano Told a Radio Host in 2019 Women Should Be Charged With Murder If They Violate Abortion Ban

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Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania, Doug Mastriano, answered “yes” when asked in 2019 if he believes women who violate a law he was sponsoring at the time restricting abortion should be charged with murder, reported NBC News on Tuesday.

The bombshell report by Allen Smith uncovered an interview with Pennsylvania radio station WITF about Mastriano’s bill, which he sponsored as a state senator to ban abortion after 6 weeks in the state.

“Mastriano was pressed about a bill he sponsored that would generally bar abortions when a fetal heartbeat could first be detected, usually around six weeks. Mastriano’s remarks in that interview were previously unreported,” writes Smith.

“OK, let’s go back to the basic question there,” Mastriano said in the interview. “Is that a human being? Is that a little boy or girl? If it is, it deserves equal protection under the law.”

The interviewer then asked Mastriano if that meant a woman should be charged with murder for having an abortion at that stage, the Republican responded, “Yes, I am.”

Mastriano, who has associated himself with Christian nationalism in his run for governor, has since dodged questions on his views on abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

“My views are kind of irrelevant because I cannot rule by fiat or edict or executive order on the issue of life.It’s up to the people of Pennsylvania. So if Pennsylvanians want exceptions, if they want to limit the number of weeks, it’s going to have to come from your legislative body and then to my desk,” he said in a recent interview with right-wing Real America’s Voice.

.@dougmastriano on abortion extremist label: “My views are kind of irrelevant… I cannot rule by fiat or edict or executive order on the issue of life. It’s up to the people of Pennsylvania…The radical on abortion is Josh Shapiro who thinks it’s ok to kill a baby up to birth.” pic.twitter.com/jGqzeCuCR2

— David Brody (@DBrodyReports) September 26, 2022

Mastriano worked as a state senator to try and overturn the 2020 election results and has been a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump’s allegations that the 2020 election was stolen. Trump endorsed Mastriano in his GOP primary.

Since becoming a candidate, Mastriano has also found himself in hot water over his ties to far-right social media platform Gab, which is a haven for white supremacy. The Republican hopeful also sparked controversy after Reuters revealed he chose to dress as a Confederate soldier in a faculty photo.

Recent polling shows him trailing his Democratic opponent Josh Shapiro, who is the sitting attorney general. Shapiro also enjoys a huge advantage in fundraising with the election less than six weeks away.