Televangelist Pat Robertson raised some eyebrows Wednesday with comments that appeared to come out against the extreme anti-abortion bill passed by the Alabama Senate Tuesday night.

Speaking on The 700 Club, Robertson said, “I think Alabama has gone too far.” Noting it would punish both abortion recipients and providers with up to 99 years in prison and that it includes no exceptions for rape and incest, Robertson called the legislation “extreme.”

But Robertson’s objections were not because he thinks the bill is unfair to women or abortion providers. He just thinks that it’s too extreme to be upheld in court, which would be a setback for abortion opponents.

“They want to challenge Roe v. Wade, but my humble view is that this is not the case we want to bring to the Supreme Court because I think this one will lose,” said Roberts.


The 700 Club is broadcast on Christian Broadcasting Network which estimates that the program is watched by a million people each day.

"It's an extreme law": Pat Robertson says that Alabama's anti-abortion law goes too far and will most likely lose at the Supreme Court. pic.twitter.com/lDuteweasq — Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) May 15, 2019

Later during the show, Robertson reiterated his opposition to abortion. “I think it’s time that we stop,” he said. “We’ve aborted over 60 million babies since Roe v. Wade,” adding his praise for other “extraordinary” laws that have restricted access to abortion. “But the Alabama case, God bless ’em, they’re trying to do something, but I don’t think that’s the case I’d want to bring to the Supreme Court.”

Robertson has previously described abortion as “definitely wrong” and “tantamount to murder” — views that don’t appear to have changed.

The Alabama legislation blatantly flouts previous court cases guaranteeing pregnant people access to an abortion. It would make it a felony to terminate a pregnancy at any point, with narrow exceptions only to protect the pregnant person’s health.


Even in such cases, a provider would have to take the risk of not being punished for providing the abortion. Republican lawmakers shot down an amendment to include exceptions for rape and incest.