Top adviser Gillespie says Romney ‘will be a pro-life president’

A senior adviser to Mitt Romney defended the Republican presidential nominee over abortion-rights issues on Sunday, saying Romney has “consistently” supported undoing the landmark court ruling making the procedure legal.

"He is a pro-life candidate. He will be a pro-life president," said former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie of Romney during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union.

"What the governor has consistently said is that he thinks Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided and this is something that should be left to elected representatives, to the people through their elected representatives," Gillespie said. 

Romney has come under fire from both social conservative activists and pro-abortion rights advocates after he suggested last week in an interview that he would not press legislation to restrict abortion rights if elected.

"There is no legislation with regards to abortion that I'm familiar with that would become part of my agenda," Romney said to the Des Moines Register.

Planned Parenthood Action Fund Vice President Dawn Laguens accused him of "misleading the public about his intention to restrict safe and legal abortion."

Anti-abortion rights activists, meanwhile, questioned Romney’s support for undoing Roe.

Romney's campaign later clarified his position, saying the nominee was "proudly pro-life and will be a pro-life president."

On Sunday, Gillespie said Romney has been “completely consistent throughout.” 

“He doesn't believe that we should federally fund abortion, and he believes that Roe was wrongly decided, and that this is an issue that is best left to the American people and their elected representatives,” Gillespie said.

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