Rubio, CNN's Cuomo Spar Over Abortion, Conception

A post-debate interview between GOP candidate Marco Rubio and CNN anchorman Chris Cuomo Friday turned into a heated battle over whether the senator's views have changed on abortion and whether human life begins at conception.

The interview on CNN's "New Day" program started much like most of the other news programs' chats about Thursday night's GOP debate, with the Florida Republican talking about how he felt he fared and about the challenge posed by front-runner Donald Trump, before he and Cuomo butted heads over the abortion issue.

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Cuomo pointed out that during the debate, Rubio had stated he was not in favor of abortions in the case of rape or incest, but that he had indeed presented a bill with those exceptions.

"I'm not sure that's a correct assessment of my position," Rubio replied. "I have never said that and I have never advocated that."

But Cuomo asked him about his backing of a bill that did have exceptions for rape and incest, and Rubio argued that does not necessarily mean he approves of all abortions.

"Every single pro-life senator supported the bill you're just talking about because it prevents abortions," Rubio said. "Think about it this way. I'm in favor of a 20-week abortion ban. Does that mean I'm in favor of abortions at 19 weeks? No."

He continued that he never said he would only support a bill with an exception in it, and that there would not be a single pro-life senator who would refuse to support the bill because of that exception.

"If we can prevent one abortion, I'm going to be in favor of it," Rubio said. "It doesn't mean it's a prerequisite to support that bill."

But to not have the carve-out "seems backward looking today," argued Cuomo.

"I think both of those instances are horrifying," said Rubio. "They're extremely rare. But any time it happens it's horrifying and a tragedy. I believe that all human life is worthy of protection. I personally believe you do not correct one tragedy with a second tragedy. I believe all human life is worthy of the protection of our laws."

But by the same token, Rubio continued, "If I have to weigh the two equities here, I'm always going to err on the side of life ... the value of human life is a timeless principle ... the idea that a human life is worthy of the protection of our laws is not something that over time anybody should evolve on."

"I know, but you're deciding when it is human life," said Cuomo.

"Let me correct you, science has," said Rubio. "Absolutely it has. Science has concluded, absolutely it has. What else can it be? It cannot turn into an animal."

Cuomo accused him of "oversimplifying," and that he was answering the question based on his faith, not science."

"We'll have scientists on the show all morning who will say we cannot say it is definitely human life at conception," the news anchor argued. "It's more faith than science."

"They can't say it's human life," Rubio retorted. "What would it become then? A cat? I can tell you that every single one of us started at that same stage, that it can't become anything other than a human being."

He further insisted that he is happy that his faith influences his political position, as it "teaches me to care for the needy, my faith teaches me to respect and love even my enemies. People should hope that my faith influences my political position."

And that faith, said Rubio, "teaches me that God knew us when he formed us in the womb," and he thinks "the science is clear that when there is conception that is a human life in the early stages of its total development and it's worthy of the protection of our laws. I'm not in favor of destroying human life because people somehow are going to obscure human life."

Cuomo wrapped up the interview with one last argument: "we don't have scientific consensus. That's the concern."

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