US Republican presidential contender Ron DeSantis would sign a federal ban on abortion after 15 weeks of gestation, a spokesperson confirmed on Thursday, underlining how the Florida governor has stiffened his rhetoric on the procedure in recent weeks.
DeSantis initially made the remarks during the second Republican primary debate on Wednesday night in California. He was responding to South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, who asked him if he would sign such a ban as president.
"Yes, I will," DeSantis responded at the time.
The exchange was difficult to make out due to significant amounts of crosstalk among the debate participants and moderators.
However, The Daily Signal, a news outlet run by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, picked up on the remark and confirmed the nature of the exchange with the DeSantis campaign. A campaign spokesperson later confirmed the exchange to Reuters.