Hillary Clinton Slams Leaked Opinion Overturning Roe as ‘Incredibly Dangerous’: ‘You Have No Idea Who They Will Come for Next’
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sat down with CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell and offered a dire warning about the recently-leaked draft Supreme Court opinion that will overturn prior caselaw finding a constitutionally protected right to an abortion, calling the draft written by Justice Samuel Alito “dark” and “incredibly dangerous.”
Politico reported the stunning news Monday evening, with a copy of the full draft opinion overturning prior abortion cases like Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey in order to uphold an abortion law in Mississippi that would prohibit most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Tuesday, Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed that the leaked draft opinion was real, but also cautioned that it was not a final version. The Justices may revise the majority, concurring, and dissenting opinions multiple times before they are released to the public. Roberts has ordered an investigation into the leak.
In the meantime, the contents of the leaked draft set off a firestorm of speculation about what the end of Roe would mean for abortion rights in America. The Supreme Court currently consists of six justices appointed by Republican presidents and three Democratic appointees. Like many pro-choice Democrats have voiced in recent days, Clinton had concerns not only about this specific Mississippi case, but whether it meant other long-standing court precedents might crumble as well.
“This opinion is dark,” she told O’Donnell in the preview clip released by CBS. “It is incredibly dangerous.”
The case, Clinton said, was “not just about a woman’s right to choose, it is about much more than that.” She added that she hoped people “now are fully aware of what we’re up against,” urging viewers to understand that “the only answer is at the ballot box, to elect people who will stand up for every American’s rights.”
The clip ends with a warning from Clinton:
And any American who says, ‘Look, I’m not a woman, this doesn’t affect me. I’m not Black, that doesn’t affect me. I’m not gay, that doesn’t affect me.’ Once you allow this kind of extreme power to take hold, you have no idea who they will come for next.”
The remainder of O’Donnell’s interview with Clinton will air at 6:30 pm ET Thursday on CBS Evening News.
Watch the video above, via CBS News.
