‘I Have to Stop You There’: CNN’s Abby Phillip Shuts Down Republican’s Claim About Abortion Pill Being Unsafe

CNN’s Abby Phillip threw cold water on Republican strategist Alice Stewart’s suggestion that the abortion pill mifepristone is unsafe.

On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk invalidated the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug 23 years after the fact.

Soon after, a federal judge in Washington state issued a contradictory ruling, thus putting the drug’s status in legal limbo.

Kacsmaryk’s decision is wildly unpopular with the vast majority of Americans – including most Republicans.

On Tuesday’s CNN Newsroom, Phillip cited an IPSOS poll showing that 70% of Americans oppose courts restricting access to the abortion drug. She asked Stewart if conservative judges are going too far.

“I think Republican pro-life leaders are going to really fight this battle because they look at this – and the numbers that the pro-life advocates are looking at have to do with the dangers of these medical abortion pills,” Stewart responded. “The way the FDA did these tests, they didn’t feel as though it was full and complete and done in the typical way the FDA does this. They are concerned with the safety of women. Oftentimes the injuries to the mother are not reported because they are not required to go to seek a doctor’s care or go to the emergency room.”

Phillip interrupted.

“Alice, I mean, I have to stop you there because I mean, we do have the data on this,” she replied. “It is a very safe drug. It’s more safe than penicillin. It’s more safe than even Viagra, which is so widely used and it’s notable. I mean, the judges citing psychological damage to women, but no, you know, taking into consideration that there was a 20-plus year process in which this drug was deemed safe.”‘

Phillip asked Stewart why judges with no medical background should decide whether medications are safe.

“I think this decision is best left up to the states and let the state legislatures make the decision on this,” Stewart answered. “And based on the numbers of people and where they stand on this issue, I do see a way or a pathway for these types of medical abortions to proceed. But it’s in the legal process now, and the judges and the courts are making this decision. But ultimately again, this is one of the many issues I think are best left up to elected officials at the state level and it should not be adjudicated in the court.”

Watch above via CNN.