Pence: Leaked abortion draft opinion helps some ’22 hopefuls
Associated PressSPARTANBURG, S.C. — Former Vice President Mike Pence applauded the essence of a leaked draft opinion suggesting that the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark case that legalized abortion nationwide, predicting that the decision could have favorable impacts for anti-abortion candidates in midterm elections across the country. “I also have no doubt that the women and men who are standing for public office at every level who have taken a strong stand for the unborn and the sanctity of life will be favorably impacted by this decision, particularly at the state level.” Pence spoke Thursday night at a benefit for Carolina Pregnancy Center, a crisis pregnancy center in Spartanburg, part of South Carolina’s conservative Upstate. “Governors, state legislators at every level, if this Supreme Court draft opinion holds, will now have a say over the issue of life in their individual states,” Pence said Thursday. On Saturday, Pence spoke at commencement exercises at Columbia International University, sharing his personal faith story and telling graduates of the Christian school that “the antidote to cancel culture is freedom, so decide here and now that you will live as free men and women, and defend the freedoms that generations of Americans have fought to defend.” During that visit, CIU President Mark Smith, who served as a faith adviser to the Trump White House, said he felt “Pence saved our nation by refusing to overturn the election on Jan 6.” “I asked him, ‘How did you do it?’” Smith said.