Newsom calls out Alabama IVF ruling as part of 'war on women'

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) called out Alabama for its recent ruling that frozen embryos and fertilized eggs should be considered people under law, arguing it will only add what he called a "war on women."

"This is a serious threat," Newsom said in a preview clip shared Saturday by NBC's "Meet the Press," referring to the Alabama decision.

"I worry about the United States Supreme Court, that again, set the tone and tenor for the debate we're having today," Newsom said in a clip posted Saturday from NBC's "Meet the Press," referring to the overturn of Roe. v. Wade in 2022, which upended the federal right to abortion. "And again, it's not just a war on travel. It's not just a war on reproductive healthcare. It's also a war on women more broadly defined, including as we know, contraceptives."

The California governor also echoed comments he made Friday, when he claimed Republicans' abortion stance would give rapists "more rights" than families.

“Apparently, what the Republican party is saying — is the rapists have more rights to bring those babies to birth, than families that are trying desperately to have the privilege you and I have had as fathers and parents,” Newsom said Friday in an interview on CNN’s “The Lead” with anchor Jake Tapper. 

His criticism of the GOP comes after Alabama’s court found Monday that the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act “applies to all unborn children, regardless of their location.” 

The decision caused some health facilities in the state to immediately pause in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. 

Former President Trump and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also came out against the ruling this week. The former president, who is the current GOP front-runner in the race for the White House, called on the state's lawmakers to protect IVF. Graham, in an interview Saturday on Fox News, predicted the ruling would be "corrected."

But, Newsom said they "these people aren't serious." Instead, in the interview, the governor said both supported a national 16-week abortion ban — and thus are part of the war.

"He will sign a national ban," Newsom said of Trump. "You want to understand the contours of this debate that we will be having over the next nine months, ironically, nine months between now and November and the consequences of Democratic Party not succeeding in Biden's reelection?"

"Just consider the fact that he said that part out loud," he added, in the interview that will air Sunday in full.