(LifeSiteNews) — The dominant story coming out of last night’s debate is, of course, the collapse of President Joe Biden’s candidacy. Before the debate was even over, panicked Democrats were sounding a five-alarm fire, and commentators collectively agreed that what was said at the debate didn’t matter much – what mattered was that Biden was clearly fragile, feeble, and not up to the job. 

But this was a presidential debate, and I think it is important to more closely examine a few things that were said. As I noted earlier, Trump’s endorsement of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to preserve the availability of the abortion pill was very significant, because it signalled a genuine political shift that few people are talking about: He is running as a pro-choice candidate who opposes late-term abortion. He isn’t merely saying “let the states decide”; he is saying that the decision to allow the abortion pill is the right decision.  

That’s important, because it marks the first time in decades that a presumptive GOP nominee is running on an openly pro-choice platform (although Bob Dole’s statements were a distinctly mixed bag). If the Republican Party pivots away from the pro-life movement and decides to oppose only late-term abortion, the pro-life movement will lose the only political vehicle we have ever had. That matters, and we should be talking about it.  

Biden’s comments on abortion – when they could be understood – were also significant. He insisted that Trump was lying when he referred to born-alive abortions. Here, for reference, is the video that Trump was referring to, which features former Virginia Governor Ralph Northam coolly discussing how babies born alive after abortions can be left to die: 

Trump was right about born alive abortions: https://t.co/Ht0jTEtql0

— Jonathon Van Maren (@JVanMaren) June 28, 2024

Biden also frantically claimed that neither he nor the Democrats supported late-term abortion, which is not true; he also claimed that late-term abortion was not permitted under the Roe v. Wade framework, which is also false. In a different debate with a more mentally acute candidate, Biden’s claim to oppose late-term abortion would have constituted a genuine policy shift and walk-back; in this debate, the comments passed virtually with notice. By then, panic had already set in and Democrats were not interested in the specifics. 

But one statement in particular is worth noting. In attempting to respond to Trump’s abortion answer, Biden delivered a stumbling, slurring response that seemed to cover both the issue of illegal immigration and abortion – but highlighted, once again, the playbook that abortion activists and Democrats (I repeat myself) are using and will continue to use in state-level referendums: 

Last night Joe Biden said women need to be able to get abortions because so many of them are being raped by their sisters. When you unpack his performance, it actually gets worse: pic.twitter.com/aPhOZQyLgJ

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 28, 2024

“Look, there’s so many young women who have been, including a young woman who just was murdered, and he went to the funeral,” Biden stumbled “The idea that… she was murdered by an immigrant coming in… they talk about that. But here’s the deal. There’s a lot of young women being raped by their in-laws, by their spouses, by their brothers and sisters, by… it’s just ridiculous. And they can do nothing about it. And they try arrest them when they cross state lines.” At this point, CNN’s Dana Bash broke in: “Thank you.” 

Keep in mind: Biden was attempting to answer a question about why abortion is necessary. Leaving aside the weird illegal immigration diversion it looks like he jumbled two issues in his head – Biden immediately defaulted to the abortion activist strategy: Stoke up fear, and paint a pro-life America as a total hellscape. In a pro-life America, Biden tried to say, we don’t have a country where babies are protected – we have a country where young American women are being raped by all of their family members – their in-laws, their spouses, their brothers, and, confusingly, somehow their sisters, too. It wasn’t coherent, but the intent was clear. 

That is the abortion activist strategy: dehumanize children in the womb, and sell the worst sort of fear to the American people. If Biden is replaced by someone more competent and even more sinister – California Governor Gavin Newsom, for example – we will see that strategy wielded fiercely and effectively. We should be prepared.