GOP distances itself from JD Vance abortion comments

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Republican Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance will address the Republican National Convention on night three, but he'll likely avoid the issue of abortion.

Democrats have sought to highlight Vance's hard-line view on abortion, seizing on comments he made indicating he was against abortion without exception. 

"He also thinks that if you've been raped, or have had incest committed against you, that you should be forced to have that child," said Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. 

Vance later indicated that he did support some exceptions, like rape and incest.

His position differs from presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has advocated that the issue should be left to the states after the Supreme Court Dobbs Decision. 

"It doesn't make any difference what JD Vance thinks," said Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin). "The Dobbs (Supreme Court) decision has sent that back to we the people."

Vance has also had harsh words for women who choose not to have children, as well as advocated that they stay in marriages that might be violent or abusive for the sake of keeping families together.

The RNC has focused on issues like immigration, the economy, and the fitness of President Joe Biden. But the word "abortion" has not been brought up.

"JD Vance is not the presidential candidate -- he's running with Trump on the Trump team," said Peoria Congressman Darin LaHood (R-Illinois). "If you look at our platform on abortion, we didn't have a lot of controversy. Regardless of JD Vance used to think, he's on Trump's team, that's the platform he's going to run on."