7 Scariest Things About a Trump-Pence Presidency

Imagine a world where the president of the United States signs laws to shut down Planned Parenthood, appoints Supreme Court judges who overturn Roe v. Wade, and condones sexual harassment. 

Think it’s too scary to really happen? Think again. It is actually what Donald Trump and Mike Pence promise to do, and what, based on their positions and legislative records, we have every reason to believe they would follow through on.. That’s why a Donald Trump-Mike Pence ticket should send a shiver down the spine of every women in this country. Hell, it should scare anybody who cares at all about reproductive rights… or basic human decency, for that matter.

If you look at the GOP ticket and feel an amorphous sense of doom, prepare yourself: Planned Parenthood Action Fund has all the details on the full horror of what a Trump-Pence presidency would be like. Here are the top seven fear-inducing facts.

 

#1: Trump and Pence would outlaw abortion.

Trump vowed to nominate anti-abortion judges to the Supreme Court, and Pence said if he and Trump were elected, Roe v. Wade would be “consigned to the ash heap of history.” Trump also said women should be punished for having abortions — a nightmare that Pence made into a chilling reality in Indiana. In fact, Pence’s anti-abortion agenda is so extreme even his fellow anti-abortion Republicans have opposed it. Two more examples: Pence signed a $3.5 million contract to lie to women seeking abortion; and in Congress, he cosponsored dangerous, so-called "personhood" legislation. 

The terrifying take-away: Pence has already passed the type of dangerous laws that Trump pledges to push. You better believe they’d make good on those bad promises.   

 

#2: Trump and Pence would “defund” Planned Parenthood

Mike Pence is seriously obsessed with taking down Planned Parenthood. He has been on a years-long crusade against Planned Parenthood, and literally started the whole “defund” Planned Parenthood thing. Trump jumped right on the bandwagon with his presidential campaign.

While on the campaign trail, both Pence and Trump said they’d shut down the government in order to block patients from preventive care at Planned Parenthood health centers — care like birth control, STD tests, and lifesaving cancer screenings. 

Scared yet?

 

#3: They’d bring their sexism and appalling attitude toward sexual assault to the White House.

Trump’s disgusting disdain for women knows no bounds. Since the now infamous tape leaked of him bragging about sexual assault, a growing number of women have come forward with their stories of Trump assaulting them. Trump has still refused to acknowledge the harm of his own behavior and the dangerous message that his words send to every survivor of sexual assault, and to every American.

But that’s just the latest. Throughout his career, Trump has used slurs and insults to attack women, calling them “big fat pig,” “dogs,” “slob,” “disgusting,” and “animals.” Who could forget his fat-shaming, slut-shaming Twitter trolling of former Miss Universe Alicia Machado? Or his comment that Hillary Clinton was a “nasty woman”?

Pence’s record is the embodiment of Trump’s rhetoric. For instance, Pence tried to redefine “rape” in a bill in order to limit access to abortion. That’s right: He cosponsored a bill that would have allowed hospitals to deny abortions to pregnant women who would die without the care. The only exception would have been cases of “forcible” rape — as if there were some type of non-forced rape.

Just think: Trump and Pence could take their campaign’s rape problem right to the Oval Office.

 

#4: They wouldn’t support fair pay.

Where to begin? Trump said it’s fair to pay working mothers less than men because they take care of their children. He also once said: “Putting a wife to work is a very dangerous thing” and that if he comes home “and dinner’s not ready, I’ll go through the roof, OK?”

Pence’s views are no better, but even more bizarre. He said working mothers stunt their children’s growth. He also cited the romance in Disney’s Mulan as proof that women shouldn’t be allowed in the military.

With such disdain for working women, the Trump-Pence policy position on pay equity is no surprise: Neither of them support legislation that would ensure women are paid fairly. In fact, Pence voted multiple times against equal pay measures in Congress. Want to guess what they’d do in the White House?

 

#5: They would repeal the ACA.

Both Trump and Pence want to overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and take coverage away from millions of Americans. That would disrupt access to birth control for more than 55 million women who now enjoy access to no-copay birth control coverage thanks to the ACA.

You’d think that politicians who want to take away birth control coverage would at least know how contraception works. Nope. To quote Donald Trump: WRONG. At least in 2012, Pence didn’t know how condoms work, and said they’re too “modern.”

 

#6: They would let racism and xenophobia run rampant.

Trump and Pence’s positions on racial issues inspired this Salon writer to suggested that if the 2016 GOP ticket were a horror movie, Donald Trump is the maniac armed with a chainsaw and Mike Pence is the gentleman serial killer.

Trump has been cited for racist quotes and business policies going back decades. Trump called for a ban on all Muslims entering the United States. He also demonized Mexican immigrants — calling them drug dealers, criminals, and rapists. Why? He was trying to justify his horrific plan to deport every undocumented immigrant in this country (ripping millions of people away from their families) and his plan to build a wall separating Mexico from the United States (which he said he intends to make Mexico pay for).

Both Pence and Trump’s views on issues affecting the Black community are equally upsetting. Trump has repeatedly made offensive comments describing Black and Latino neighborhoods as disastrous “inner cities" filled with “broken homes, and that Black and Latino folks are "living in Hell.” Meanwhile, Pence wants us all to stop talking about systemic racism, despite the alarming number of people of color who have been shot by police officers.

It begs the question: In a Trump-Pence America, who will be protected — and who will not?

 

#7: They would turn a blind eye to inciting violence.

Trump suggested that “the Second Amendment people” might be able to do something if Hillary Clinton is elected and is able to “pick her judges” — a statement widely interpreted as a call for violence against Hillary Clinton. Trump also incited violence at his own rallies, defending supporters who use violence against protesters, saying it’s “fun” to eject protesters and that he wanted to punch one in the face.

But now, Trump is fear mongering over a “rigged” election — making lip service to “voter suppression” of his supporters at the polls and encouraging Trump voters to closely watch the polls for “voter fraud.” In fact, that rhetoric is actually what could lead to real voter suppression — and further violence.

Trump also indicated that he’d reject the election’s results if he loses, stoking his supporters’ threats of violence. Pence has distanced himself from claims about a “rigged” election, but his strategy seems to be denying that his running mate is fanning the flames of violence.

Are we really gonna stand for that?

 

America Under Trump: A Nightmare

There you have it. The seven deadly sins of a presidential ticket, all bundled up in one putrid package.

Just to recap: Trump promotes dangerous policies. He has made it clear he would overturn Roe v. Wade, wants to punish women for having an abortion, and would block patients from going to Planned Parenthood. He’s also sexist and racist. He called pregnant women an “inconvenience” for their employers, and has made inflammatory comments about people of color at his rallies. Trump is a dangerous bully we can’t afford. His policies would divide this country, and alienate our friends and neighbors. Trump’s policy ideas and values are dangerous for this country. Electing him as president would send a message to employers, legislators, and people across this country that racism and sexism are now America’s values.

The bottom line is that Donald Trump supports policies that would be harmful to the health and wellbeing of women and their families, and his running mate Mike Pence has already shown us the dangerous consequences of those extremist policies and given us a frightening preview of what the whole country could like under a Trump-Pence administration.

What now? Tell Donald Trump and Mike Pence: You’re #NotMyTicket!

If we let Donald Trump and Mike Pence into the White House, they will block patients from accessing care at Planned Parenthood, ban abortion, punish women and doctors for abortion, roll back insurance coverage for birth control and other lifesaving care, allow businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ people, and more. We have to stop them, but we need your help. 

Take action and tell them: You’re #NotMyTicket.

TAKE ACTION

 

Tags: Donald Trump, Election 2016, Hillary Clinton, Mike Pence