MSNBC host Ali Velshi blasted the United States on Saturday ahead of the Fourth of July for not being a “free country” and praised authoritarian foreign governments for their abortion policies. “Overturning Roe v. Wade and removing state abortion laws makes America the most extreme among developed countries,” Velshi said. He then revealed a huge map of countries with different abortion policies, saying: “Look at this map, these are countries where a person can have an abortion, on request. Now there are varying limits on how far during of pregnancy is, but for the most part if you want an abortion in any of these places in green, you can.” Journalist Ali Velshi speaks on stage during Global Citizen – Movement Makers at The Times Center on September 25, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Global Citizen) Velsi praised many Western democracies, but then gave credit to authoritarian countries like Russia, China and North Korea. “There are countries that you might be more surprised to see in this group, like Cuba, Argentina, Turkey, Russia, China, and I hope you sit down for that one North Korea. Even in some countries that embrace the authoritarianism and have horrible records on human rights and the treatment of women, abortion is still available on demand,” the MSNBC host said. BLOOMBERG OPINION PIECE SAYS ENDING ROE V. WADE IS ‘INSTITUTIONAL SUICIDE’ FOR SUPREME COURT He forged his view by protesting the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and allow the issue of abortion to be decided by each state. “The right to abortion, the right of a woman to control her own body, no longer has general constitutional status in America, which means that women have rights in China and North Korea that they don’t have in the United States of America,” she said. Velshi. . The Supreme Court appears on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) The MSNBC host mentioned how some countries have some restrictions on when women can get an abortion, but failed to mention how they were more restrictive than the United States before the Court overturned Roe. For example, Ireland and Germany ban abortions in most cases after 12 weeks. Italy does not allow abortions after 90 days or just under 13 weeks. France, Austria and Spain banned the procedure after 14 weeks. In fact, many European nations ban elective abortions after 20 weeks. China and North Korea are the few countries that have allowed abortions in the past 20 weeks. WAPO OPINION LINKS ABORTION, VOTING RIGHTS AS DECISIONS THAT ‘HAVED THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF DEMOCRACY’ Velshi went on to condemn the US for allowing states that can decide their own abortion policies. “This is where America falls, somewhere between Sweden and Sierra Leone, somewhere between total prohibition and completely legal, this is because since the overturning of Roe v. Wade it is difficult to characterize the legal status of abortion in America because now it varies enormously from state to state,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if abortion is allowed in some states, if it’s banned in even one, that America is not really a free country. If the rights of even one American are taken away, none of us enjoy absolute freedom as citizens of this country.” On Monday, July 4, Fox News will air a two-hour primetime show, “Fox News Presents: An Independence Day Celebration,” from 8-10 p.m. ET. (iStock) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP As he wrapped up his broadcast, he suggested the most recent Supreme Court session was a “reign of terror” with “a series of decisions that will leave this country battered and bruised for years to come.” He warned that if the president or Congress does not hold the Court accountable, it will continue to run “unchecked” and continue to strip citizens of their rights with “impunity.” Thomas Catenacci of Fox News contributed to this article. Alexander Hall is an associate editor at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected]
