Kelly Clarkson believes the nation is going backwards over Arizona’s “insane” new abortion law.
The singer made the remarks during former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Monday appearance on her eponymous daytime talk show.
Clarkson brought up the topic of Arizona’s new rules for abortion, which have reverted to a near ban on the procedure, except when the mother’s life is in danger, after the Arizona’s Supreme Court upheld an 1864 law in a shock ruling issued last week.
“Did you ever think in your lifetime that we would see that happen? It’s just insane to me the thinking that went on in 1864 — it’s a very different world,” she asked Clinton, who nodded along.
Kelly Clarkson gets emotional while talking to Hillary Clinton about the Arizona Supreme Court upholding a 1864 abortion ban:
"I have been pregnant twice, hospitalized both times … To make someone go through that? … You don't realize how hard it is." pic.twitter.com/6h6QP0oGRV
— The Recount (@therecount) April 15, 2024
“We know a lot more now, that we’re going backwards,” the “Since You’ve Been Gone” singer added.
Clinton agreed and said that Arizona’s new (old) law was “horrifying in every way.”
“I feared it would happen, but I hoped it wouldn’t happen. And now here we are in the middle of this very difficult period for women in about half the states of our country who cannot get the care that they need,” Clinton remarked.
She noted that the “old” Arizona law was “without exceptions,” and said that the “danger to women’s lives,” along with their right to make decisions about their bodies “is so profound.”
Clinton pointed out that there is a “troubling” element to the absoluteness of the abortion law.
“There’s a kind of cruelty to it, I mean really,” she commented. “No exceptions for rape, incest. There’s a cruelty toward women, toward women’s lives.”
“You don’t realize how hard it is. The fact that you would take that away from someone,” Clarkson replied. “That can literally kill them.”
“The fact if they’re raped … some by their family member. It’s just like insane to me,” she continued.
“You’re speaking for so many. You’re speaking for literally millions of women in our country and around the world,” Clinton lauded her.
The “Stronger” singer thinks that an increase in “voter apathy” is “why things like this are happening” in the United States.
“What I’m hearing from everyone is that they’re just exhausted and they feel powerless and ‘Even if I do vote, what does it matter?’” Clarkson explained.
“What does it matter? Well, that’s why we’re going back to 1864,” she noted.
The talk show host asked the former presidential candidate what we can do reinvigorate voters.
“Because it’s hard to preach at someone that you have to care about something,” Clarkson stated.
“But at the same time, I feel like we’re gonna end up in some kind of — not to sound dramatic — but some kind of Civil War over things that I feel like we shouldn’t be divided on.”
Clinton told Clarkson that she was “a hundred percent right” and all they could do was try to get their messaging out to the public.
It's a Whole Lotta Woman today on Kelly with Secretary @HillaryClinton and @SuffsMusical creator Shaina Taub PLUS a special update from Rania and @TheLit_Society! pic.twitter.com/TZ2R9SJRmD
— The Kelly Clarkson Show (@KellyClarksonTV) April 15, 2024
“For example, there was a vote in the Arizona legislature to try to repeal this 1864 law so that there could be a much more sensible approach and it lost,” Clinton noted. “It matters who is representing you.”
After the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision, House Democrats tried to repeal the 1864 law last Wednesday, but the Republican majority shut down their attempts and adjourned for the week.
“Radical legislators protected a Civil War-era total abortion ban that jails doctors, strips women of our bodily autonomy and puts our lives at risk,” Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs snapped.
“We are navigating in extremely complex, emotional and important area of law and policy,” Republican state Rep. Teresa Martinez countered.
“In my opinion, removing healthy babies from healthy mothers is not health care nor reproductive care. Pregnancy is not an illness. It should be celebrated. It is an abortion that terminates life.”
Clinton urged Americans to get to the polls this year and vote on the issues they care about.
“I want to vote in a way that’s going to make life better for the maximum number of people and not try to impose your views on the rest of us,” she concluded.
“Whatever you care about, voting is your superpower. It may not seem like it, but it really is.”