Donald Trump, a man I am certain has never paid or asked someone to abort a fetus he helped put inside them, proposed last week to withhold federal Title X grant funds from healthcare providers that offer abortions or abortion referrals. The so-called domestic gag rule would financially punish places like Planned Parenthood that provide abortions and other health services. It would also make it difficult for many women and other marginalized genders, especially those with low income, to obtain abortions, birth control, and other necessary care. Trump, who has been loudly “Pro-Life” for all of maybe three years now, and anti-woman for decades, is immensely pleased with himself.
The president was the key note speaker at a gala for anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List on Tuesday night, where he championed the domestic gag rule and his anti-abortion administration. “When I ran for office, I pledged to stand for life, and as president, that’s exactly what I have done and I have kept my promise and I think everybody here understands that totally,” he said. He also pointed out that a significant portion of the government now comprises anti-abortion representatives, which is a super fun thing to think about in the middle of the night:
Never mind that these “Pro-Life” elected officials have little regard for the lives of, say, women and non-binary identities seeking breast exams or other cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood. Certainly, they don’t care much about the lives of children once born, provided those children plan to one day attend a school or set foot outside their homes. But why quibble over details.
Trump also urged gala attendees to vote for anti-abortion candidates in the 2018 midterm elections.” Your vote in 2018 is every bit as important as your vote in 2016,” he said, adding, “Although I’m not sure I really believe that. I don’t know who the hell wrote that line.”
Planned Parenthood, which currently receives some federal funding for non-abortion services, released a statement on Tuesday from Executive Vice President Dawn Laguens condemning the domestic gag rule. “This is the worst attack on women’s health and rights we’ve seen from the Trump-Pence administration,” Laguens said, likening the rule to something out of The Handmaid’s Tale. “The result of this rule is that people will not get the health care they need. They won’t get birth control, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, or even general women’s health exams.”
“Everyone, regardless of their income or where they live, deserves the best medical care and information available,” Laguens added. “Under this rule, they won’t get it.”
Trump, meanwhile, spent the rest of Tuesday night tweeting about Crooked Hillary and Russian collusion, his preferred pastime.