Actor Matthew McConaughey, a potential Texas gubernatorial candidate, criticized the Texas heartbeat law as “juvenile” Thursday while avoiding explaining his exact position on abortion.
Houston Chronicle reports McConaughey (“A Time to Kill,” “The Wedding Planner”) said he has “a problem” with the law, which prohibits abortions once an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable, because it does not give women enough time to make a decision about having an abortion.
“I’ve got a problem with that,” he said.
The New York Times confronted the famous actor about his views on abortion and his political aspirations Thursday, but McConaughey did not give many direct answers. He refused to say if he plans to challenge pro-life Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022 and would not clarify his exact position on abortion.
When asked specifically about the Texas heartbeat law, McConaughey said he has “been trying to figure how to play God” on the issue, but he is uncomfortable with the law, according to Fox News.
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“This latest move by Texas, it’s a little bit of a – feels a little bit like a back and front, sort of Roe v. Wade loophole,” he said. “It feels a little juvenile in its implementation to me.”
He also expressed concerns that the law does not allow abortions on unborn babies conceived in rape or incest.
“And also, six weeks,” he said, referring to the approximate time in pregnancy when an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable. “Six weeks? If you’re saying that your discussion of abortion is even on the table to consider, six weeks does not really make that a honest consideration.”
When asked to describe his position on abortion, McConaughey responded, “I’m not going to come out and tell you right now on this show, here’s where I stand on abortion.”
According to the Chronicle, the 51-year-old actor has talked about running for political office but he has not said what party he would side with. He told the New York Times that he has not taken sides “on purpose” and mentioned the creation of a possible third party that would represent middle ground voters.
The Texas heartbeat law went into effect Sept. 1, prohibiting abortions once an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable, about six weeks of pregnancy. Unique from other states, the Texas law includes a private enforcement mechanism that allows people to file lawsuits against abortionists who violate the law and those who help them.
For 36 days while the law was in effect, abortion facilities stopped aborting unborn babies all across the state, and pro-life leaders estimate 3,000 babies were saved from abortion. On Wednesday, however, a federal judge blocked enforcement of the law in answer to a lawsuit from the Biden administration. The Texas Attorney General’s Office is appealing.
