Newsom launches abortion ad accusing conservatives of holding women hostage

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A week away from Super Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom is airing abortion ads in some red states.

One ad launched Sunday on "Meet the Press." In it, Newsom accuses conservative leaders of holding women hostage by imposing travel bans and preventing women from seeking reproductive care out of state.

The ad shows a woman handcuffed to a hospital bed with a rape kit on the table next to her, in an attempt to point out that abortion bans, such as the one in Tennessee, have no exceptions – even if a woman is raped or a victim of incest.

The ad will first air in Tennessee, where there’s currently a proposal to charge adults with a felony if they help pregnant minors get an abortion out of state without their parents’ permission. It will then air in other states trying to pass similar legislation.

Newsom spoke about the ad on "Meet the Press," calling the strict anti-abortion laws a "war on women."

"These guys are not just restricting the rights of self-determination to bear a child for a young woman," he said. "But they’re also determining their future by saying that they can’t even travel. These travel restrictions, modeled after a version that passed in Idaho, are now being proposed in Tennessee, Oklahoma and Mississippi. The AG himself of Alabama wants to criminalize travel, not just for children, but for adults seeking reproductive care. That’s how serious this moment is."

The ad directs viewers to righttotravel.org. 

This ad campaign is being funded by a political action committee that Newsom launched last spring.

Political analyst Brian Sobel said the point of the ad is not to change people's minds about abortion, instead it's meant to give Newsom more of a national platform. 

"The point of the ad is to give him face time in Tennessee among people in Tennessee, who at some point in the near term or in the long term, may want to support him for president," said Sobel. 

On Meet the Press, Newsom was also asked about the presidential election and his confidence in President Biden winning a second term. Newsom said he believes Biden is doing everything he needs to do to beat Donald Trump again. 

When pushed about whether Newsom was ruling out a run in 2024 if Democrats decide to put another name on the ticket, he said he's supporting Biden. 

"He’s being self-deprecating when he says, ‘Oh, I support the president, and he’s the best person for the job, I have no interest.’ He has a lot of interest. He just knows that it's best not to talk about it publicly," said Sobel.