On Friday morning, CNN contributor S.E Cupp again demonstrated just how far former conservatives can stray away from their political roots as she declared that, even though she is "pro-life" she thinks that it "should remain legal," and that she is opposed to erecting "unnecessary barriers" to getting one.
Her self-contradictory commentary came as she was asked on CNN's New Day show to react to news that the FDA will allow abortion pills to be shipped to women through the mail. Fill-in co-host Kaitlan Collins set up the topic: "I do want to get your take, though, on something else -- a new move from the FDA, lifting some of these restrictions on being able to get this abortion pill by mail. This is something of course, it's a medical abortion is what is referred to, and you have these pills, and now women can get them in the mail."
Collins then asked the allegedly conservative Cupp for her reaction as she added: "Of course this comes at a time when you're seeing this Supreme Court fight play out over those new abortion restrictions in several states, including of course mainly Texas. And so what are the pros and cons of what the FDA has done here?"
The CNN contributor was immediately contradictory as she began:
Well, I'll say, as a pro-life person, I don't have an issue with making abortion easier. It's legal, and I think it's -- that's the law of the land -- I think it should remain legal, but I think it should be safe. It's legal -- I don't think you add unnecessary barriers to both providers and patients to get it.
Cupp then added:
That said, I am concerned about the safety of do-it-yourself abortions, and the FDA is requiring patient consent and a physician's prescription which lets me know there are some risks involved. And the idea that you could have an abortion without being seen by a physician-- in person. You can do telemedicine, which we're all doing now, I get it, well, that makes me very uncomfortable because I'm pro-life, but then I'm also concerned about the health of women, and so I'm just a little uneasy with that part.
This is a far cry from her commentary about the issue from years past when, in 2015, she argued that Planned Parenthood should stop doing abortions so that its state funding would increase which could then be used to further help women with other procedures.
She also suggested a couple of years ago that her main problem with some attempts at banning abortions was mainly that they did not have exceptions, not that she was against banning abortion generally. But, more recently, she has been in line with liberal Republicans in the media who talk leftward on the issue.
The only other guest who was there to comment on the subject was left-leaning journalist and frequent guest Mara Schiavocampo.
This latest example of CNN excluding conservative points of view from nearly all of its political discussions was sponsored in part by Centrum. Their contact information is linked.
Transcript follows:
CNN's New Day
December 17, 2021
7:29 a.m. Eastern
KAITLIN COLLINS: I do want to get your take, though, on something else -- a new move from the FDA to remove some of these restrictions on being able to get this abortion pill by mail. This is something of course is a medical abortion is what is referred to, and you have these pills, add now women can get them in the mail.
Of course this comes at a time when you're seeing this Supreme Court fight play out over those new abortion restrictions in several states, including of course mainly Texas. And so what are the pros and cons of what the FDA has done here?
S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR:Well, I'll say, as a pro-life person, I don't have an issue with making abortion easier. It's legal, and I think it's -- that's the law of the land -- I think it should remain legal, but I think it should be safe. It's legal -- I don't think you add unnecessary barriers to both providers and patients to get it.
That said, I am concerned about the safety of do-it-yourself abortions, and the FDA is requiring patient consent and a physician's prescription which lets me know there are some risks involved. And the idea that you could have an abortion without being seen by a physician--
JOHN BERMAN: In person.
CUPP: -- in person. You can do telemedicine, which we're all doing now, I get it, well, that makes me very uncomfortable because I'm pro-life, but then I'm also concerned about the health of women, and so I'm just a little uneasy with that part.
