In a series of focus groups conducted by Planned Parenthood (through an independent research group) across Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, Trump supporters expressed dismay over the anti-abortion and anti-Planned Parenthood agenda being pushed by the man they elected into office.
Come January, when Republicans take control of the house, the Senate, and the Oval Office, the party is expected to—through their stated interest in repealing, in some form or another, the Affordable Care Act—cut $400 million in Medicaid funds to Planned Parenthood, effectively ending the organization’s tax funding. (Note: Planned Parenthood’s federal funding does not go to abortion services.) While historically all over the place about his stance on a woman’s right to reproductive health, President-elect Donald Trump will likely sign on, especially given his VP Mike Pence’s history in this area.
This oddly comes as a surprise to the Trump voters in the focus groups. As the Huffington Post reports, one Wisconsin man stated,“The guy I voted for, I’d be disappointed if he signed it. He’s making sure the Congress is on his side, but he doesn’t care about all us people who voted for him.”
An opportunist being opportunistic? Well, I never.
“If he does sign this, it’s gonna cause more disruption in our society,” said a man from Las Vegas and he’s right—access to reproductive healthcare (INCLUDING abortion) is a touchstone of most successful modern societies and Gilead the U.S. is no different.
Of all the Trump voters’ dismay, nothing was more flummoxing than a person from an Arizona focus group who seemingly has never googled Pence.
“I guess I’ve been living in a bubble. [Pence] sounds like a tyrant,” they remarked.
If only the bubble had been popped before the election and inevitable ruin of civilization.