MSNBC’s coverage of the Supreme Court striking down Texas’ recent abortion law Monday included a triumphant victory lap by failed gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis, whose 11-hour filibuster against the regulations in 2013 earned her high praise from the cable news network.
The Supreme Court ruled 5-3 this week that Texas’ recently enacted abortion law, HB2, unconstitutionally limited a woman’s access to abortion under Roe v. Wade.
When lawmakers in the Lone Star state moved in 2013 to pass legislation mandating that abortionists must have admitting privileges at a hospital within a 30-mile radius, and that all clinics must also meet the standards required of surgical centers, Davis donned a pair of pink sneakers and launched a filibuster against the bill.
Though she failed and the law passed, her filibuster made her a darling in many newsrooms, and gave a considerable boost to her public profile.
On Monday, following the Supreme Court’s decision against the Texas law, MSNBC presented Davis for an interview that resembled a victory lap.
“You ran for governor after the filibuster that, as I said, it skyrocketed you because of those pink sneakers,” MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts said. “I’m not sure if you’ve put those in any type of Hall of Fame in Texas, or if they’re still somewhere in your closet, but does this make you want to get back into Texas politics again?”
Davis responded, “I am never stepping away from Texas politics, whether I’m in office or not in office. I’ve continued to work very hard to make sure that gender equality is advanced in this country. Of course, reproductive rights are an incredibly important part of that, and I could not be happier in this moment talking to you about the decision that we received from the Supreme Court today.”
“It is a big moment,” Roberts continued. “Can you clarify, though, where those pink sneakers are, just for folks that are watching?”
“Yes, they’re safely tucked away in storage, and of course I cherish them and I always will,” Davis said.
After the filibuster, Davis leveraged her newfound fame into a gubernatorial bid. She lost to Republican Greg Abbott by more than 20 points, and failed to win a majority of women voters.
