Iowa governor defends 6-week abortion ban after Trump ‘terrible thing’ comments

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) defended legislation she signed that bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, after former President Trump called Florida’s six-week ban on the procedure a “terrible thing.”

“It’s never a ‘terrible thing’ to protect innocent life,” Reynolds said Tuesday in a post on X. “I’m proud of the fetal heartbeat bill the Iowa legislature passed and I signed in 2018 and again earlier this year.”

Trump, whose Supreme Court justice appointments led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for signing a six-week abortion ban. The former president called the move “a terrible thing and a terrible mistake” during an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Trump has faced backlash from opponents of abortion rights for his comments.

Reynolds signed Iowa’s abortion ban into law in July. The state passed a similar version of the law in 2018, but a court halted it because Roe v. Wade was still in effect.

DeSantis said Tuesday that Trump was “wrong to attack the heartbeat bill as ‘terrible,'” writing in support of Reynolds on X.

“I applaud Governor [Reynolds] and the Iowa legislature for promoting a culture of life,” DeSantis said. “Standing for life is a noble cause.”

Reynolds says she’s remained on the sidelines when it comes to Trump and DeSantis on the campaign trail, not endorsing either presidential candidate.

“I’m remaining neutral, but I don’t just want to rule it out down the road. I think it’s really important right now to encourage candidates to come to Iowa,” Reynolds told Shannon Bream during an interview on Fox News Sunday. 

Trump has previously criticized Reynolds for saying she wants to remain neutral between the two candidates.

“I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in July. “Now, she wants to remain ‘NEUTRAL.’ I don’t invite her to events! DeSanctus down 45 points!”

Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting DeSantis’s presidential bid, aired an ad earlier today touting Reynolds’s abortion ban while going after Trump for his remarks during the Sunday interview. 

The ad then praises DeSantis for “promoting a culture of life” and signing the six-week abortion ban. 

“We have delivered in Florida on promoting a culture of life and that means signing the heartbeat bill into law. It was the right thing to do. Don’t let anyone tell you it wasn’t.”