Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams, who is running for governor, said during a television appearance Wednesday that more abortion access was a solution to combatting the nation’s crippling inflation rate, a remark that prompted widespread backlash from Republicans.
Abrams was asked on MSNBC’s Morning Joe:
While abortion is an issue, it nowhere reaches the level of interest of voters in terms of the cost of gas, food, bread, milk, things like that. What can a governor, what could you do as governor to alleviate the concerns of Georgia voters about those livability, daily, hourly issues they’re confronted with?
Abrams replied:
Let’s be clear. Having children is why you’re worried about your price for gas. It’s why you’re concerned about how much food costs. 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, who is facing Gov. Brian Kemp (R) in a contentious gubernatorial rematch, then provided a nonspecific list of follow-up answers to the current high cost of living, which nearly 70 percent of respondents in a recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll said was an “extremely important” or “very important” consideration for how they would vote.
“A governor can address housing prices. A governor can address the cost of education. A governor can put money into the pockets of everyday hardworking Georgians instead of giving tax cuts to the wealthy. That’s what I talk about on the trail,” Abrams said before switching the conversation back to abortion.
Kemp, an outspokenly pro-life governor, signed into law Georgia’s six-week abortion ban in 2019, and the ban, which includes exceptions, took effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned this year.
The governor responded to Abrams’ comments with a list of inflation fixes, including continuing to suspend the state’s gas tax.
While my opponent wants abortion without limits to fix Joe Biden’s 40-year high inflation, my plan is:
✅ Suspend the gas tax
✅ Send another $1B back to taxpayers
✅ Pass a property tax rebate for homeowners
✅ Implement largest tax cut in state history https://t.co/mj4N3z8fA9— Brian Kemp (@BrianKempGA) October 19, 2022
Republican Herschel Walker, who is vying to unseat Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) in a highly competitive Senate battle, raised the question to Warnock of whether he agrees with Abrams.
.@staceyabrams believes abortion is the answer to inflation. I bet @ReverendWarnock won’t answer the question – does he agree with her? https://t.co/0eyurCFg7E
— Herschel Walker (@HerschelWalker) October 19, 2022
Warnock, a longtime pastor who is notoriously pro-abortion, did not respond to a request for comment from Breitbart News on the matter.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), chairman of Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, called Abrams’ remarks “barbaric.”
.@staceyabrams’ comments are simply outrageous and barbaric.
The solution to the Democrats’ inflation crisis is to abort more babies?
Absolutely disgusting. https://t.co/Vp9ryxXziV
— Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) October 19, 2022
The Susan B. Anthony List, a national pro-life organization that has endorsed Walker, paraphrased that “Abrams blames children” for rising costs of everyday goods.
Yes, you heard that right: Stacey Abrams blames children for the rising costs at the pump and in the grocery storepic.twitter.com/bIq1sILC6b
— SBA Pro-Life America | 72% 🇺🇸 support 15 weeks (@sbaprolife) October 19, 2022
Stephen Miller, former senior adviser to former President Donald Trump, noted the perceived irony in a Democrat advocating for more abortion access “to offset the cost of Democrat-caused inflation.”
Democrats’ current midterm argument is: elect more Democrats so we can have more late-term abortions of healthy children to offset the cost of Democrat-caused inflation. https://t.co/oV0Unz9Tev
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) October 19, 2022
House Judiciary Committee Republicans shared the clip of Abrams’ comment eight times on social media, asking various prominent Democrats, such as Warnock, if they agreed with Abrams.
Do you agree, @SenatorWarnock? https://t.co/pTuMKg0vIb
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) October 19, 2022
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) suggested Abrams’ comments were “unhinged.”
Unhinged liberal economics: reduce inflation by killing the unborn.
Georgians must reject Stacey Abrams once and for all #RedWave https://t.co/XDY4rQmGI5
— Marsha Blackburn (@VoteMarsha) October 19, 2022
More:
There are better solutions to the high price of gasoline than abortion. Energy independence, for one. https://t.co/fKjrvseUZg
— David Shafer (@DavidShafer) October 19, 2022
All Democrats want to do is kill babies… https://t.co/7oIlBYXDVd
— Dr. Kelli Ward 🇺🇸 (@kelliwardaz) October 19, 2022
Georgians are worried about the rising cost of food and gas. What do you say to them?
Stacey Abrams: Have an abortion.
Unreal! #gapol #gagov pic.twitter.com/OMjNhwfx6V
— Garrison Douglas (@GDouglasiii) October 19, 2022
Why are Democrats even in red states campaigning as pure liberals on abortion? Recall Stacey Abrams gets most of her fundraising from out of state. https://t.co/rKI2VxWAAY pic.twitter.com/jHay6GCB7o
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) October 19, 2022
If it was up to Stacey Abrams, if you can’t afford gas or food, abortion would be your answer.
Sorry, Stacey, that’s never the solution.https://t.co/RhobhOgYHV
— Abby Johnson (@AbbyJohnson) October 19, 2022
March: Inflation problems? Just let your dog die
October: Inflation problems? Just kill your kid pic.twitter.com/RcP8gIsMDb
— John Hasson (@SonofHas) October 19, 2022
“Let’s be clear. Having children is why you’re worried about your price for gas.” – Stacey Abrams
WOW, so abortion solves inflation? Ὀ
— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) October 19, 2022
Why are Democrats like Stacey Abrams and Katie Hobbs so obsessed with full-term baby killing?
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) October 19, 2022
Culture of death. https://t.co/FL9WsX149J
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) October 19, 2022
We don’t talk enough about how absolutely terrible Abrams is as a communicator and messenger https://t.co/zQTicAuL4o
— Stephen Lawson (@StephenLawson_) October 19, 2022
Translation: We need to kill babies to save money. https://t.co/z4yn7nfKhs
— Terry Schilling 🇺🇸 (@Schilling1776) October 19, 2022
The Abrams campaign responded to the flood of reactions in a statement to the AJC, emphasizing the financial costs of having children.
“Stacey Abrams wants to make sure women are able to make their own health care decisions on an issue that is deeply personal and can have strong economic implications,” a spokesperson said. “Brian Kemp wants to ban abortion even in the case of rape and incest.”
Write to Ashley Oliver at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @asholiver.
