When Newell Normand initially heard a certain comment by Louisiana State Attorney General Jeff Landry regarding the legal challenges against the state’s abortion trigger laws, he admitted he needed some time before he opined about it. Ultimately, Normand on his show this week called the comment childish and openly wondered why more people weren’t upset about it. Landry wasted no time in seeking an opportunity to respond and appeared on the Newell Normand show on Friday.
The two Republicans disagreed on Landry’s comment after a court hearing last week that changed the venue for a temporary restraining order challenging the laws that would trigger abortion bans. Landry focused the comment against certain politicians such as the New Orleans City Council, Mayor and District Attorney who all have refused to support or enforce laws criminalizing activities surrounding abortion. Frustrated with the legal challenge to the trigger bans, Landry said anyone who disagreed has a choice:
“If you don’t like the laws of the states, you can move under one to which you like. That’s the greatness about America,”
Normand called the comment childish, saying that mentality is counterproductive to the democratic process. Normand also views that mentality as privileged. He said the general public doesn’t possess the kind of power or influence politicians such as Landry wield. Many people simply don’t have an option to walk away from various situations in life if they don’t agree with certain conditions. Encouraging people who may hold different political positions to leave Louisiana, Normand said, is not in the best interest of the state. On the Newell Normand Show Friday, Landry offered a more specific scenario to defend his comment:
“How many people do you think have left the city of New Orleans because of crumbling infrastructure, corruption, and crime? I mean it’s constantly. We know that there’s been a flight out of the city of New Orleans and the recipient of that has been the North Shore,” Landry said.
Landry said Normand put his comments out of context. Landry said his comments were not directed at the lawsuit against the trigger laws but were directed at a reporter who asked what his response would be to those who don’t like those laws.
“In America, you get to choose the place you live if you find yourself in the minority of ideas, what’s great about the country is that you have ability to search out a place where your ideas may be in the majority and then you can live there. So, that was exactly my comment,” said the attorney general.
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In one exchange, Normand asks Landry, “what do you do when YOU don’t like a law?”
Listen to Landry’s response by clicking here.