Virginia's Democrat Governor Accused of Supporting 'Infanticide', Would Let Babies Die Right After They're Born

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) stunned many people on Wednesday by saying some babies should be allowed to die right after they're born.

The news came soon after a Democrat bill was blocked in the Virginia House of Delegates that would have allowed babies to be aborted up until the last second, even while the mother is in delivery. 

Northam, who was a pediatric neurologist before being elected Virginia's governor in 2018, made the comment during an interview with Washington, DC radio station WTOP.

The program's host asked Northam if he supported the bill that would allow a woman to receive an abortion even while she was going into labor. 

"This is why decisions such as this should be made by providers, physicians, and the mothers and fathers that are involved," Northam told the listening audience. "When we talk about third-trimester abortions, these are done with the consent of obviously the mother, with the consent of the physician — more than one physician, by the way — and it's done in cases where there may be severe deformities. There may be a fetus that's non-viable."

"If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen," he continued. "The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother."

The governor added that he thinks the furor over the bill and Virginia Democratic Delegate Kathy Tran's comments "was really blown out of proportion."

You can watch Northam on the radio show below: 

Many people quickly responded to the governor's remarks on Twitter.

Caleb Hull, director of content at Targeted Victory, provided the video and quotes from the interview on Twitter: "VA gov on abortion this morning: 'If a mother is in labor...the infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians & mother.'"

VA gov on abortion this morning:

"If a mother is in labor...the infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians & mother" pic.twitter.com/cc15pVLjIQ

— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) January 30, 2019

Northam's office released a statement after the furor, trying to clarify the governor's comments. Hull posted the statement, saying it doesn't change anything, and he didn't take Northam's comments out of context:

Here's @GovernorVA's statement.

I did not take anything out of context.

He wants to change the definition of "health of the mother" to mean (broad) mental health, so if an abortionist decided the mother's mental health may be impacted, they can get a 40 week abortion. pic.twitter.com/Pac9VM6vDx

— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) January 30, 2019

Retweeting Hull's comments, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) tweeted: "I never thought I would see the day America had government officials who openly support legal infanticide."

Also retweeting Hull, US Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) wrote: "If you're an even moderately pro-life activist in Virginia, or anywhere in the country, this should get you off your couch. Stomach turning."

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) also released a statement Wednesday afternoon in response to Northam's comments. Sasse is the author of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would impose penalties on physicians that refuse medical care to infants born alive in botched abortion procedures.  

"This is morally repugnant," Sasse said in the statement. "In just a few years pro-abortion zealots went from 'safe, legal, and rare' to 'keep the newborns comfortable while the doctor debates infanticide.' I don't care what party you're from — if you can't say that it's wrong to leave babies to die after birth, get the h*** out of public office."

This abortion battle in Virginia isn't over yet since this is an election year for the state. Republicans only hold a slim majority in the state legislature and they say Democrats will have an easy path to pass the measure next year if they win control, especially since Gov. Northam has indicated full support for the idea.

You can make your voice heard on this issue: Click here to contact Virginia lawmakers