Following an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, right-wing media attacked Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams for saying that the health of the economy and abortion access are inextricably linked, distorting her comments by claiming that Democrats want to “kill more babies” to improve inflation. 

During Abrams’ October 19 appearance on Morning Joe, contributor Mike Barnacle suggested that voters are more concerned about inflation than abortion. In her response, Abrams noted that economic concerns are inherently tied to abortion access, stating, “For women, this is not a reductive issue. You can’t divorce being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy from the economic realities of having a child.”

Abrams raised an important point: Unwanted pregnancies have clear impacts on individuals already struggling to keep up in a time of economic uncertainty. The University of California’s Turnaway Study examined the implications of unwanted pregnancies on women’s health and socioeconomic well-being and found that “being denied a wanted abortion results in economic insecurity for women and their families, and an almost fourfold increase in odds that a woman’s household income is below the Federal Poverty Level compared to those who receive an abortion.” 

A series of studies by Rutgers similarly found that “women who are denied an abortion because of restrictive laws not only are less likely to be employed full time, they are also more likely to live in poverty and to require public assistance compared to women who obtain abortions.” 

Right-wing media, along with some right-wing figures and organizations, were quick to twist the gubernatorial candidate’s remarks by claiming that Abrams and fellow Democrats believe the solution to inflation and the economy is to “kill more babies.” Georgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker also amplified this claim by asking his opponent, Raphael Warnock, if he agrees with Abrams and “believes abortion is the answer to inflation.” 

Here are some examples of how right-wing media is twisting Abrams' comments on the economy and abortion:

• The Washington Free Beacon published a piece misrepresenting Abrams’ remarks by claiming she said that “abortion restrictions are at the root of voters' concerns about inflation.” The piece also claimed that Abrams was trying to “divert voters’ attention from inflation to abortion.” 
• FoxNews.com attacked Abrams with the false framing of “Stacey Abrams suggests having an abortion as solution to inflation: 'Economic realities of having a child.’”
• National Review distorted Abrams’ statement, claiming she “float[ed] abortion as an inflation fix.”
• Ignoring studies connecting abortion access and the economy, the Washington Examiner attacked Abrams for suggesting that “abortion is an economic issue” and distorted her argument by claiming she said “abortions will help fight inflation.”
• The Daily Wire twisted Abrams’ remarks and published a piece with the headline, “Inflation Hurting Your Family? That’s Why We Need Abortion, Stacey Abrams Says.” 
• With the headline “Stacey Abrams: Inflation Wouldn’t Be So Bad If You’d Just Let Us Kill More Babies,” The Federalist misconstrued Abrams’ commentary to baselessly claim that “babies would be better off murdered … reflects the new mainstream” in the Democratic Party. 
• Turning Point USA’s Benny Johnson tweeted and posted to Telegram that “The Democrat Party is a Death cult” because “Stacey Abrams just accidentally EXPOSED what the Democrat Party is REALLY about after encouraging abortion to solve inflation.”
• Tony Perkins, president of the extreme anti-LGBTQ group Family Research Council, said, “Stacey Abrams reveals how the Left wants Americans to deal with the Left’s failed economic policies – ABORT children! The Left sees children as burdens. Children are not a burden, they are a blessing from God! Children are our nation’s future.”

• Anti-abortion outlet LifeNews tweeted, “Alveda King condemns Stacey Abrams: It's ‘really frightening’ that she thinks ‘it’s more important to get an abortion than it is to pray, than it is to unify, come together, and solve the problems of America together.’”
• DC Examiner’s David Freddoso tweeted, “Stacey Abrams's closing argument: Weather inflation by aborting all your children.” 
• Ed Morrissey, managing editor of the conservative blog HotAir, tweeted an article about Abrams’ comment and falsely claimed that it was a Democratic ploy leading up to the midterms: “Just how desperate are Democrats to sell abortion in this midterm cycle dominated by inflation and crime? *This* desperate. Abrams: You can fight inflation by aborting more babies, you know.” 
• The Blaze falsely accused Abrams of suggesting “that the solution to the inflation crisis is to allow more abortions.” 
• Newsmax contributor Jenna Ellis twisted Abrams’ words and even tried to claim that the comment was racist, despite no mention of race: “Translation: kill more black babies, Georgians. Abrams is literally running on racism.” 
• The Heritage Foundation manipulated Abrams' words, claiming, “This is what it looks like when the ideological interests of adults are placed over the wellbeing of children. ‘Party of death’ leftists like Abrams’ blames children; the Right fights for their nation so that their own children may flourish in it.”
• Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk asked, “Why are Democrats like Stacey Abrams and Katie Hobbs so obsessed with full-term baby killing?”