Fox News host Sean Hannity has told Arizona lawmakers to remove an abortion ban that was brought back in by the state Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The court ruled that a 160-year-old abortion ban from 1864—before Arizona became a state—could still be enforceable.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump said that reinstating the archaic law which mandates a near-total ban on abortion, except in the case of saving a mother's life, had gone "too far."
"As you know, it's all about states' rights," Trump told reporters after the court's decision. "It'll be straightened out. I'm sure that the governor and everybody else are going bring it back to within reason."
Hannity had warned Republicans earlier this week about the "political suicide" that could result from not supporting exceptions for anti-abortion laws, such as in the cases of rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother.
Even though he opposes abortion generally, Hannity advised Arizona's politicians to get rid of the law altogether.
"The people on the left are so desperate, attacking Trump now for an Arizona Supreme Court ruling that upholds what is a Civil War-era law banning abortion. This will be fixed in the next week or two. Let not your heart be troubled. I can pretty much assure that will happen," he said on Wednesday's episode of his eponymous Fox News show.
"Trump opposes the law and this ruling... And you know what? Arizona's governor is a Democrat. The state's attorney general is a Democrat. The state legislature is almost evenly divided. If Democrats–you want to get rid of the law, well, you have a chance right now to get rid of it. And I would advise you, get rid of it."
"They would rather use it as a political tool ahead of November," Hannity said, suggesting Democrats would try to use the decision against Trump, who is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
Despite concerns about the highly restrictive law affecting election chances in November, nearly all Republican lawmakers in the state House on Wednesday blocked Democratic attempts to repeal it.
Arizona's Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes said she would not enforce the "draconian" abortion law.
"The decision made by the Arizona Supreme Court today is unconscionable and an affront to freedom. Make no mistake, by effectively striking down a law passed this century and replacing it with one from 160 years ago, the Court has risked the health and lives of Arizonans," she said in a statement on Tuesday.
"The Arizona Court of Appeals decision... was well reasoned and aligned with how courts harmonize different legislation."
Mayes said: "Today's decision to reimpose a law from a time when Arizona wasn't a state, the Civil War was raging, and women couldn't even vote will go down in history as a stain on our state.
"This is far from the end of the debate on reproductive freedom, and I look forward to the people of Arizona having their say in the matter. And let me be completely clear, as long as I am Attorney General, no woman or doctor will be prosecuted under this draconian law in this state."
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Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more
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