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FACT CHECK: Donald Trump is No Friend To Women

For Immediate Release: Feb. 25, 2016


Washington, D.C. –– In tonight’s Republican debate, Donald Trump again doubled down on his extreme stance to block patients from accessing care at Planned Parenthood. When asked about so-called “defunding” — blocking patients who rely on Medicaid and other government programs from seeking care at Planned Parenthood — Trump said:

“I wouldn’t fund it. I would defund it because of the abortion factor… I would defund it.”

By his own admission, Trump would strip women of key services like cancer screenings and birth control. Without thinking twice, Donald Trump would block over a million people from care at Planned Parenthood health centers, he’d ban access to safe, legal abortion and he’d slash insurance coverage of birth control.

 

Background: Donald Trump Has Been Very Clear: He Would “Defund” Planned Parenthood

Donald Trump wants to block access to care at Planned Parenthood

  • Trump told Ted Cruz “You are the single biggest liar" when Cruz said he supports Planned Parenthood funding: At the South Carolina primary debate, Trump called Cruz a “liar” when he said that Trump supports funding for Planned Parenthood. “For most of his life, [Trump's] policies have been very, very liberal," Cruz said in Greenville, South Carolina, ‘For most of his life, he has described himself as very pro-choice and as a supporter of partial birth abortions. Right now today as a candidate, he supports federal taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood. I disagree with him on that.’ Trump interrupted and responded with insults. ‘You are the single biggest liar,’ he told Cruz. ‘You probably are worse than Jeb Bush. You are the single biggest liar.” [CBS News, 2/14/16]

  • He said he would support a government shutdown over Planned Parenthood funding: “Asked directly by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt if it’s worth shutting down the federal government to strip Planned Parenthood’s $528 million in government funding, Trump replied: ‘I would.’ And Trump blamed Cruz’s colleagues for abandoning him during the fight to defund Obamacare two years ago. ‘If the Republicans stuck together you could have done it with Obamacare also, but the Republicans decided not to stick together and they left a few people out there like Ted Cruz,’ Trump said. ‘If they had stuck together they would have won that battle. I think you have to in this case [on Planned Parenthood] also, yes.’” [POLITICO, 8/4/15]

Donald Trump wants to ban access to safe, legal abortion:​

  • Trump said that since Roe v. Wade was decided, we’ve been “sliding toward a culture of death”: “Over time, our culture of life in this country has started sliding toward a culture of death. Perhaps the most significant piece of evidence to support this assertion is that since Roe v. Wade was decided by the Supreme Court 43 years ago, over 50 million Americans never had the chance to enjoy the opportunities offered by this country.” [Washington Examiner, 1/23/16]

  • Would appoint pro-life judges to the Supreme Court: Donald Trump told conservative, Christian media mogul and founder of Regents University, Pat Robertson, that he would elect “pro-life” judges to the Supreme Court. “Robertson asked Trump what he would look for in a Supreme Court nominee. Justice Antonin Scalia died Feb. 13, leaving the high court with four Democratic appointees and four Republican appointees. ‘Pro-life,’ Trump said without hesitation. ‘I’ve always said that Justice (Clarence) Thomas doesn’t get enough credit. Justice (Samuel A.) Alito is a terrific guy ... so in that realm,’ Trump added.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2/24/16]

  • Wants to ban safe and legal abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and for the life of the woman. [YouTube: Bloomberg Business, 1/24/15]

  • “I’m pro-life. I think that's a big social issue.’’  [National Journal, 2/15/11]

  • When asked on Meet the Press about health exceptions for women seeking an abortion, Trump said: “My statement on that happens to be, you know, if the mother will die. And you're going to know that. And the problem with the life: If you say life, what does life mean? You have a cold and you're going to end up having an abortion.” [Washington Post, 8/17/15]

  • Opposes overturning the Hyde Amendment: “Public funding of abortion providers is an insult to people of conscience at the least and an affront to good governance at best.”  [Washington Examiner, 1/23/16]

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