WELCOME TO MEET THE PRESS NOW.
I AM CHUCK TODD REPORTING FROM
WASHINGTON.
WE ARE GOING TO GET ALL OF THE
ONE-YEAR COMMEMORATIONS OF THE
WAR IN UKRAINE ON THE SHOW.
WE WILL START HERE, WITH WHAT
MAY BE THE MOST POLITICAL STORY
RIGHT NOW.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS A BIG
PROBLEM.
IT'S AN ABORTION PROBLEM.
LAWMAKERS ON BOTH SIDES ARE
WAITING TO SEE IF A FEDERAL
JUDGE WILL RULE TODAY TO
SEVERELY LIMIT ACCESS TO A
COMMON ABORTION METHOD,
MEDICATION ABORTION, ALSO KNOWN
AS THE AT-HOME ABORTION PILL.
MEDICATION ABORTIONS ACCOUNT
FOR MORE THAN HALF OF ALL
ABORTIONS IN AMERICA, AND AT A
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS EVENT AT
THE WHITE HOUSE,, HARRIS CALLED
THE LAWSUIT A PARTISAN ATTACK
ON THE PART OF DOCTORS TO
PRESCRIBE MEDICINE.
THIS IS BACKED BY 22 ATTORNEYS
GENERAL AND 67 REPUBLICAN
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
THE CASE HAS ONCE AGAIN PUT A
SPOTLIGHT ON HOW THE REPUBLICAN
POSITION ON ABORTION IS FAR
OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM.
HOW FAR DO YOU SAY?
I WILL SHOW YOU IN A MINUTE,
BECAUSE THIS COULD TRANSLATE
INTO A MAJOR POLITICAL
LIABILITY, AND PERHAPS 2022 WAS
A BIGGER WARNING SIGN ON THIS
ISSUE THEN EVERYONE HAS
REALIZED.
2024, VOTERS WILL HEAD TO THE
BALLOTS AGAIN, AND DECIDE WHICH
PARTY CONTROLS THE SENATE AND
THE PRESIDENT, AND THE ABORTION
ISSUE COULD BECOME KEY.
DON'T BELIEVE ME?
LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS.
THE PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE
JUST RELEASED A MASSIVE, THE
MOST COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY ON
THE ABORTION ISSUE WE HAVE SEEN.
20,000 PEOPLE, COVERING ALL 50
STATES.
WE ARE ABLE TO SEE THIS BY
STATE, BY DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP,
ALL SORTS OF WAYS.
THIS IS REALLY SOLID RESEARCH
WORK, AND SOME OF THE MOST
COMPREHENSIVE POLLING WE HAVE
EVER SEEN.
LET'S GET STARTED.
NUMBER ONE, THIS PUSH TO BAN
ABORTION PILLS.
LOOK HOW UNPOPULAR THIS IS.
72% OPPOSE IT.
THIS PART OF THE POLL WAS
CONDUCTED ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS
AGO, WHICH IS WHERE THE NUMBERS
WERE, AND WE HAVE SEEN THESE
NUMBERS CHANGE.
LET'S SEE THE ISSUE OF ABORTION
IN GENERAL.
SHOULD ABORTION BE LEGAL?
OVER THE LAST 13 YEARS,
REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO
ROLL BACK THE RULES ON ABORTIO
, AND AS THEY HAVE BEEN DOING
THAT, THE PUBLIC HAS GONE IN
THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
RIGHT NOW, SUPPORT FOR LEGAL
ABORTION IS AT 64%.
THAT IS NEARLY 10 POINTS HIGHER
THAN IT WAS JUST OVER A DECADE
AGO.
LOOK AT THIS BY PARTY.
64% AMONG ALL AMERICANS.
86% BELIEVE ABORTION SHOULD BE
LEGAL IN MOST CASES AMONG
DEMOCRATS.
LOOK AT REPUBLICANS.
IT IS 36%, BASICALLY HALF OF
WHERE INDEPENDENTS ARE.
ESSENTIALLY, REPUBLICANS ARE
FAR OUTSIDE THE REST OF THE
COUNTRY ON THIS ISSUE.
IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT BY
STATE, 43 STATES IN THIS SURVEY
HAVE A MAJORITY THAT SUPPORT
ABORTION IN ALL OR MOST CASES.
ONLY SEVEN DO NOT.
LET ME SHOW YOU BY THE
BATTLEGROUND.
HERE ARE THE SIX CLOSEST
PRESIDENTIAL BATTLEGROUND
STATES.
ONLY ONE STATE OF THE SIX, OF
THE BIG SIX, IS UNDER 60%.
THAT'S GEORGIA.
NOW, LET'S LOOK AT THE SENATE
MAP IN 2024.
THE MOST DEMOCRATIC VULNERABLE
SEATS ARE IN OHIO AND WEST
VIRGINIA.
64% REPORTED IN LIBERTARIAN
HEAVY MONTANA, 66% IN OHIO, AND
UNDER 60 THERE.
SOME REPUBLICANS, BY THE WAY,
HAVE TRIED TO SOW DOUBTS ABOUT
THESE NUMBERS.
THEY QUESTION THE POLLS
FINANCIAL BACKERS, AND SOME OF
THEIR PRO-ABORTION RIGHTS
INTERESTS FROM THESE
ORGANIZATIONS.
THEY ARE NOT DISPUTING THE DATA
OR THE METHODOLOGY.
THIS POLL IS THE BEST EVIDENCE
YET THAT THE PUBLIC,
ESSENTIALLY, BELIEVE THE
SUPREME COURT'S DECISION TO
OVERTURN ROE V WADE WAS WRONG,
EMPHATICALLY SO, AND THEY ARE
TELLING US AT THE BALLOT BOX
AND POLES.
RIGHT NOW, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
APPEARS TO BE ON THE WRONG SIDE