Texas GOP Governor Greg Abbott has once again found himself on the receiving end of a boatload of backlash after he made a seriously tone-deaf and frankly downright disgusting comment in reference to his state’s heinous new abortion ban — igniting anger, frustration, and exasperation from numerous doctors and pundits.
According to a new report from The Week, Abbott has actual experts positively fuming after the topic of incest and rape was brought up in connection to the state’s extreme new abortion ban, only for the GOP governor to brush it off, stating that victims of such are allowed “at least six weeks” to get an abortion.
The truth of the matter is, the absolutely heinous new abortion ban in the state criminalizes abortions at the staggeringly early 6-week mark, way before most women even know that they’re pregnant, and bears absolutely no exceptions for victims of rape or incest, regardless of their age.
Speaking to a reporter, Abbott asserted that the Handmaid’s Tale style abortion ban doesn’t actually force a victim of rape or incest to carry their abuser’s fetus to term because “obviously it provides at least six weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion.” The GOP governor went on to claim that the state of Texas will work “tirelessly” to ensure “we eliminate all rapists from the streets of Texas.” — as if that’s possible.
Reporter: Why force a rape or incest victim to carry a pregnancy to term?
Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX): “It doesn’t require that at all, because obviously it provides at least 6 weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion.” pic.twitter.com/Mbx5JVHG1D
— The Recount (@therecount) September 7, 2021
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As you’d expect, Abbott was almost immediately hammered with a wave of backlash as legitimate experts put him in his place:
Other issues aside, a fact check: SB8 doesn’t give “at least 6 weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion.” It bans abortion after 6 wks of pregnancy, which bc of the weird way these things are counted actually means ~4 wks after conception or ~2 wks after a missed period. https://t.co/BxAGF8WWNs
— Lauren Kelley (@lauren_kelley) September 7, 2021
For what Gov. Abbott is saying here to be true, you would have to start planning for an abortion a week or two before even having sex that results in a pregnancy.
— Lauren Kelley (@lauren_kelley) September 7, 2021
I’m sorry to be this cynical, but #SB8 doesn’t exactly disincentivize rape in any way https://t.co/Cu1wjtgkZ0
— EricaGrieder (@EricaGrieder) September 7, 2021
You can’t get **rapists in a child’s own family** “off the streets.”
You can’t Minority Report a first-time rapist “off the streets” before it happens.
That’s not how that works.
Hiding behind copy-paste law & order language doesn’t change those realities. https://t.co/OBr5EKDj1x— Jessica Shortall🧂🥴 (@jessicashortall) September 7, 2021
Gov @GregAbbott_TX clearly does not understand pregnancy or periods or facts. 6 wks gestation is 2 weeks after a missed period ASSUMING you have “normal” 28 day cycles, which many people do not. https://t.co/Uq39QlTkWv
— Dr. Jenn Conti (@doctorjenn) September 7, 2021
This is shameful. First, 6 weeks is 6 weeks from the 1st day of the woman’s last period, closer to 4 weeks & putting the onus on victims to focus on this to the exclusion of all else, in an environment of fear & shame isn’t even a pretend effort at protecting their rights. https://t.co/QzDKV2httT
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) September 7, 2021
There’s no explaining this away, Abbott. You’re trying to own women, and we’re not standing for it.
Featured image via screen capture
