(NewsNation) — 2024 GOP nominee hopeful Nikki Haley lauded the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and said she is unapologetically “pro-life” in a speech she gave Tuesday morning, but added she wants to find national consensus on what many see as a divisive issue.
Invoking the story of her husband, who was adopted after being put into foster care at only a few years old, and her own struggles getting pregnant, Haley said her reasons for being anti-abortion are personal.
Ever since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June, which gave jurisdiction over abortion to the states, the procedure has been a leading topic of conversation, particularly in the national political arena.
“Last year, the court returned the power to the American people,” Haley said. “We are now free to forge consensus once again.”
Despite different viewpoints on abortion, Haley, in her remarks to the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said there are a number of aspects where there can be agreement.
“I believe in conversation. I believe in compassion,” she said. “We’re not just talking about policy here. We’re talking about people.”
“I respect everyone who has their story,” Haley went on. “I don’t judge someone who is pro-choice, any more than I want them to judge me for being pro-life.”
Common ground already exists, Haley argued in her speech.
“There is broad public agreement that babies born during a failed abortion deserve to live. They need medical attention and the full protection of the law just like every other baby,” she said. “There is broad political agreement that we should never pressure moms into having an abortion. They should get support to carry their baby to term. They should be able to get information from pregnancy resource centers, and especially about adoption.”
As she spoke, Haley even had harsh words for her fellow Republicans: “We have to face this reality,” she said Tuesday. “The pro-life laws that have passed in strongly Republican states will not be approved at the federal level.”
However, she also said Democrats are “fearmongering” on abortion.
“They say Republicans are about to ban all abortions nationwide and send women to prison,” Haley said. “These wildly false claims amplified by sympathetic media are not designed to do anything other than score political points.”
Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, later served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for the Trump administration in 2017.
She became the first major challenger to former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination after announcing her candidacy in February.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.