At a rally in support of Planned Parenthood in New York's Foley Square, New York City Mayor de Blasio incorrectly claimed a majority of Americans support unrestricted abortion.
"We know a majority in this country believes in the right to choose. We know the American people understand the only person who gets to decide is the woman herself. That is what the American people believe. It is a small group of right-wing extremists who are trying to ignore that American majority, who are trying to undermine your rights, who are trying to take us back to a time when that disparity, that unfairness, was part of our lives. But we are not going back," said Mayor de Blasio.
However, no such American majority exist when it comes to second and third trimester abortions.
Looking at the most recent Gallup polling that examined American opinions on abortion, 48 percent of participants identified themselves as pro-choice and 48 percent as pro-life, with 5 holding no opinion. 48, of course, is not a majority but merely a plurality and in this case also the same number of pro-lifers.
When asked whether abortion should be legal or not, a majority (60-34) supported first trimeter abortions being legal. However, 65% believed second trimester abortions should be illegal and 81% believed third trimester abortions should be illegal.
So with regards to late-term abortion, not just is there no majority of Americans in support but a supermajority opposed.
In addition, a recent Hill-HarrisX survey that asked registered voters for their opinions of a heartbeat abortion ban that would prohibit abortions after six weeks, only 45% found such bans to be too restrictive. 34 found them "just right" and 21 "too lenient". Meaning an actual majority, 55%, supported an abortion ban of 6 weeks or stricter.
Mayor Bill de Blasio is term-limited with his term expiring by 2021. He is currently running for the Democratic nomination for President, after previously pledging in a 2017 primary debate to finish his full four years if elected.