Suarez: High Court abortion-rights rejection was ‘greatest day defending life’ in history
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Miami Mayor and Republican 2024 presidential candidate Francis Suarez stressed his commitment to pro-life positions on Friday at a Christian-themed political conference, lauding last year’s Supreme Court Dobbs decision and referring to it as one of the most important moments in U.S. history.
“I express my profound gratitude to God for the celebration of the anniversary of what historians will call the greatest day defending life in our history: The overturning of Roe v. Wade,” Suarez said, referring to the high court’s June 24, 2022 decision allowing states to enact stricter abortion laws, including outright bans.
Suarez’s statements on Friday come as he attempts to gain traction as a presidential candidate.
As mayor of Miami, Suarez spoke sparingly in public, if at all, about his position on abortion. But in interviews since announcing his presidential campaign last week, Suarez has stated that he supports a 15-week federal abortion ban, setting him apart from some of the other Republican candidates.
On Friday, Suarez used his short speech to share his own personal family struggles with fertility. A decade ago, Suarez cited his wife’s sudden pregnancy after years of trying to have a child as a reason he dropped out of the city’s 2013 mayoral race.
“You know, many people claim to be pro-life, but you’re not pro-life until you are truly tested. In my case, my wife and I were tested by the challenge of infertility,” said Suarez.
Suarez, who is Catholic, also spoke Friday about how his family’s positions on abortion influenced his upbringing and his positions today.
“I am literally a product of the pro-life movement myself. My parents actually met at a pro-life rally,” said Suarez.
In Suarez’s home state of Florida, Governor Ron Desantis – also a Republican presidential candidate – recently signed a six-week abortion ban, which has yet to go into effect due to an ongoing legal battle.
Suarez recently told the Associated Press that he felt the country wasn’t ready to embrace such a restriction. That position seems to put him in line with leading Republican candidate former President Donald Trump, who has also stated that the six-week abortion ban is too restrictive.
