Trump repeats the false claim that Democrats support abortion ‘after birth’ in debate

In Tuesday’s presidential debate, former President Donald Trump again falsely claimed that Democrats support abortions “after birth” and “executing” babies.

It’s an attack line Trump has used repeatedly to paint Democrats as radical on issues of reproductive rights. But as ABC News anchor Linsey Davis mentioned during her real-time fact check, there is no state where it is legal to kill a baby after birth. A report from KFF earlier this year also noted that abortions “after birth” are illegal in every state.

According to the Pew Research Center, the overwhelming majority of abortions — 93% — take place during the first trimester. Pew says 1% take place after 21 weeks. Most of those take place before 24 weeks, the approximate timeline for fetal viability, according to a report by KFF Health News.

An analysis from KFF earlier this year noted that later abortions are expensive to obtain and offered by relatively few providers, and often occur because of medical complications or because patients face barriers earlier in their pregnancies.

“Nowhere in America is a woman carrying a pregnancy to term and asking for an abortion. That isn’t happening; it’s insulting to the women of America,” Vice President Kamala Harris said on the debate stage Tuesday.