Ron DeSantis Heckled by Debate Audience Over Answer About Abortion

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis faced heckling and was accused of being a liar during his gubernatorial debate with Democratic challenger Charlie Crist.

On Monday night, the pair discussed multiple issues important to Floridians, including hurricanes, guns, COVID and abortion.

Moderator Liz Quirantes raised the topic of abortion and the changes seen following the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court in June.

She asked DeSantis to explain after what week of pregnancy should abortion be banned.

Florida currently prohibits abortions after 15 weeks with exceptions if the procedure is necessary to save the pregnant woman's life, prevent serious injury or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality.

It does not allow an exception in cases where the woman is a victim of rape, incest or human trafficking.

The ban was signed into law by DeSantis in April, before the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. It took effect on July 1, but it has been challenged in the courts. A previous Florida law allowed abortions until 24 weeks of pregnancy.

During DeSantis' reply, one person can be heard shouting out "liar" while other crowd members groaned and talked over the governor. A clip of this moment has begun to circulate on social media.

DeSantis replied: "I was thinking back to a poor woman, over 40 years ago, in Jamaica, she found herself pregnant, didn't think there would be much opportunity to have a child.

"She was urged to abort the baby, and went to get the abortion and for whatever reason, maybe we can't explain, and for whatever reason, that didn't end up happening and she ended up having the baby.

"I think about that because a few months ago I appointed her daughter to be the first Jamaican-American justice in the history of the Florida Supreme Court."

DeSantis received a round of applause after telling this story.

He continued: "I just think we are better when everybody counts, I understand not everybody is going to be born in perfect circumstances but I would like to see everybody have a shot.

"I am proud of the 15 weeks that we did, I know Charlie Crist opposes that even though the baby is fully formed, has a heartbeat, can feel pain and suck their thumb."

At this point, the crowd begins to talk over DeSantis with one person screaming out liar.

Undeterred, DeSantis continued: "[Crist] also supports sex elective abortions which is used to discriminate against little girls.

"He supports dismemberment abortions where they will literally tear the baby limb from limb and he supports taxpayer funding of abortion all the way up until the baby is born, and that is wrong."

Dismemberment abortion is a pejorative term designating a method that is used later in a pregnancy. Known by medical professionals as dilation and evacuation, the procedure involves dilating the cervix and removing the fetus with forceps. The use of the procedure is generally prompted by a medical emergency or a severe fetal abnormality.

When Crist replied, he argued that DeSantis was not telling the truth and insisted the governor did not answer the question but rather focused on speaking about Jamaica.

Crist added that he personally wanted to keep a woman's right to choose. He also brought attention to the fact that after 15 week's Florida does not allow exceptions to abortions for rape or incest and he wanted to change that.

Newsweek has contacted DeSantis' and Crist's offices for comment.