Hillary Clinton Denounces Overturning of Roe v. Wade : 'Women Are Going to Die'

Hillary Clinton is speaking out about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, saying that, as a result, "women are going to die."

In an interview with Gayle King that aired Tuesday on CBS Mornings, the former secretary of state said that while she is "not surprised" about the decision, she is disappointed.

"I was not surprised, because I think that was the goal of packing the court with justices who were on the record for many years of being against women's Constitutional rights to make decisions about our own bodies," said Clinton, 74. "I was deeply sorry that it actually happened but now that it has happened, I think everybody understands that this is not necessarily the only effort that we're going to see this court undertake to turn back the clock on civil rights and gay rights and women's rights beyond abortion."

The 6-to-3 ruling reverses nearly 50 years of legal precedent and will completely change the landscape of women's reproductive rights by giving individual states the power to decide whether to allow the procedure. It is estimated that nearly half the country will enact near-total bans in the coming months.

Since the decision on Friday, states such as Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri and South Dakota have already outlawed abortion after putting "trigger bans" in place that governors enacted after the Supreme Court ruling.

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Clinton said on CBS Mornings that she hopes the Supreme Court's ruling will "wake up a lot of Americans."

"I don't care what political party or religion you are — the question is, who decides? Is the government going to be in your bedroom? Is the government going to be making these decisions? We're only at the beginning of this terrible travesty that this court has inflicted on us," she added.

JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Hillary Clinton

Asked by King, 67, about people who are arguing for "protecting the rights of unborn children," the former first lady responded, "That is predominantly a belief rooted in religion, which I respect. And that's why, in a pluralistic democracy like ours, the court in Roe v. Wade said the government is not going to make this decision."

"If it is your personal belief, based on whatever, that there is no legitimate basis for abortion — even if you're in the hospital and you're bleeding out, even if you're told that you have cancer and chemotherapy is necessary and therefore an abortion is necessary — no matter what, you get to make that decision," Clinton said.

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She added, "I might not agree with it, but you get to make that decision. But you, and those who support your particular point of view, cannot dictate that decision to every other woman."

Clinton addressed the abortion rate going down before the Supreme Court's decision, and said she believes the "ultimate goal" of the ruling is "truly to erase the progress that women have made from the last 150 years."

She also touched on the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, gun control and more, admitting that she believes U.S. democracy is at stake and saying she hopes people understand the importance of the upcoming midterm elections.

"I think it's important that people recognize that if there were ever a time to vote — and to vote, literally, for your rights and our future — it's this midterm," the former Democratic presidential candidate said.