During the first two days of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Planned Parenthood set up a mobile unit in a nearby neighborhood to offer free health care services including medication abortion and vasectomies. Although the unit and the services were not connected to the convention, right-wing media had a meltdown and accused the DNC of being “morally wrong” and “sick” and “killing preborn children.”
Molly Butler / Media Matters
Research/Study
Right-wing media accused the DNC of “killing preborn children” because Planned Parenthood offered reproductive services nearby
Written by Chloe Simon & Torri Lonergan
Published
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Planned Parenthood provided its mobile health clinic’s free services outside the DNC to help those in states with restrictive reproductive health access
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- Planned Parenthood Great Rivers provided free vasectomies, abortion medication, and emergency contraception in a mobile clinic in a neighborhood near the Democratic National Convention in Chicago during the convention’s first two days. According to Mother Jones, “the appointments had been filled” before the convention even began. The mobile unit and the Planned Parenthood services were not connected to the convention. [Mother Jones, 8/18/24; CBS News, 8/20/24]
- According to the group, “The mobile clinic is a demonstration of the possibilities when states like Illinois work to support, rather than restrict, access to affordable health care.” As CBS News reported, “A spokesperson said one goal is to help people who travel to Illinois from states where access to those services has been limited since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and other states began severe restrictions or outright bans on abortion and other reproductive care.” [Planned Parenthood, 8/19/24; CBS News, 8/20/24]
- Four of Illinois’ neighboring states -- Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, and Indiana -- have severe restrictions on abortion and reproductive health access. Kentucky and Missouri have near-total abortion bans except in certain medical emergencies. Indiana has a near-total abortion ban except in cases of medical emergency or in cases of sexual assault and incest. Iowa has banned abortion after six weeks with some exceptions including some rape and incest cases, danger to the life of the pregnant person, and “ life-threatening fetal abnormalities.” [AP News, 1/31/24, 4/4/24; Missouri Independent, 8/13/24; NPR, 6/28/24]
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Right-wing media accused Democrats of “offering free abortions” and doing “human sacrifices of babies at their convention”
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- Fox News host Sean Hannity claimed on his radio show that “Democrats are offering their free abortion pills and vasectomies, you know, courtesy of Planned Parenthood.” Hannity also criticized Democrats for having “no restraint at all, no restrictions at all on abortion, up till the moment of birth.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 8/19/24]
- Anti-abortion organization Live Action posted a piece titled “Democratic National Convention kicks off with free abortions, vasectomies, and giant IUDs.” The piece claimed, “Opening a political convention by actually killing preborn children (rather than simply celebrating the ability to kill them) is certainly a ‘new’ development in American politics.” [Live Action, 8/19/24]
- Responding to a tweet about the Planned Parenthood mobile health unit, MAGA figure Mike Davis called Democrats “sick” for “celebrating abortions at the DNC.” Davis went on to accuse the “abortion industry monopolist Planned Parenthood” of doing “child sacrifices.” [Twitter/X, 8/20/24]
- Fox anchor Dana Perino criticized Democrats, saying they “let them [Planned Parenthood] right outside the hall” to offer free abortions and vasectomies and they’re “proud of it.” Perino said Democrats are “talking about it all over town, and it is just jarring.” [Fox News, Fox News Democracy 2024, 8/19/24]
- Trump ally Laura Loomer posted, “Democrats are doing human sacrifice of babies at their Convention this week.” Loomer also wrote that “Planned Parenthood offering free abortions, vasectomies at DNC” is “outrageous and demonic.” [Twitter/X, 8/18/24; NBC News, 1/14/24]
- Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen: “Kamala Harris became the first vice president ever to campaign at a abortion clinic, so it’s not a big jump for them to now be providing free abortions at the Democratic National Convention.” Thiessen added, “The democratic orthodoxy has become abortion — taxpayer-funded abortion — on demand, up until the moment of birth,” later claiming, “When your party is offering free abortions at its convention, there’s something deeply morally wrong with your party.” [Fox News, The Faulkner Focus, 8/19/24]
- Thiessen also called the Democrats “the party of death” in response to a post claiming that “25 babies have been killed by Planned Parenthood at the DNC.” [Twitter/X, 8/20/24]
- Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk claimed that “25 babies lost their lives so far this week thanks the DNC's sponsoring of a Planned Parenthood abortion van.” Kirk continued, “This is the Democrats' depopulation agenda on full display. Sick. Cruel. Evil.” [Twitter/X, 8/20/24]
- Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce called Planned Parenthood’s presence near the DNC “a horrible reflection” and said the Democratic Party is a “cult of death” and “victimhood” that relies on “people being ignorant and being hopeless and living in fear.” Bruce accused Democrats of telling men “that they need to castrate themselves” and encouraging people to “get rid of the next generation.” She also described pro-choice protesters at the convention handing out Plan B as “ghoulish” and evidence that the Democratic Party is descending “into Dante’s seventh level.” [Fox News, The Faulkner Focus, 8/20/24]
- Fox News contributor Guy Benson said it’s “very dark” and “ very sad” that Planned Parenthood is giving “free vasectomies and abortions” and suggested it shows that Democrats are “not friendly to having children and families in terms of their policies.” Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany noted that “it feels a lot like celebrating abortion, and abortion eliminates a heartbeat at four weeks, eliminates a separate DNA code. It’s not something to celebrate.” [Fox News, Outnumbered, 8/19/24]