Since she performed an abortion on a 10-year-old Ohioan rape victim, Indiana abortionist Dr. Caitlin Bernard has become something of an icon to the post-Roe pro-abortion movement. New Day co-host Brianna Keilar interviewed Bernard on Friday morning to voice her opposition to Indiana’s pending abortion bill, despite the bill containing exceptions for cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother (the most commonly accepted exceptions).
After outlining the contents of the bill (which can be read here), Keilar played the interview, which had been taped prior to it being shown live. She began by asking Dr. Bernard, “You've treated many patients who would fall into these categories. What, to you, is the problem with relying on those exceptions?”
Interesting wording. Keilar didn’t ask what Dr. Bernard thought of the exceptions, nor even why she personally thought the exceptions were a problem, but “what, to you, is the problem,” implying that the exceptions are inherently problematic.
Bernard’s answer played both sides of the question, saying, “medicine is not about exceptions. I can't even begin to tell you how many patients I see in very unique situations — uh, that can't fit into those exceptions, that can't have a list of what I can and can't do.” And immediately followed up with, “You know, the other part of this is this is going to exclude 98 percent of people who need abortions in Indiana.”
When asked if she regularly sees patients who would meet the exceptions within the Indiana law, Bernard responded, “Absolutely. Every day I get a consultation for a patient who has — you know, a — a condition that fits into those exceptions.”
On the question of enforcing the exceptions, Bernard fretted the laws would cause doctors to second-guess themselves when the mother’s life is in danger, “The impact on the physicians means that they can't take care of patients the way that they need to be able to and patients will be hurt.”
This line has been repeated ad nauseam by abortion advocates and their allies in the media, but it doesn’t apply at all in this case because, again, the law in question makes an exception to save the life of the mother. To put it bluntly, any failure to act in such a situation would rest on the doctors who failed to understand the full implications of a law that so closely impacted their profession.
Keilar’s final questions consisted of getting Bernard’s opinion on the recent Kansas abortion vote and if the Biden administration could be doing more to preserve access to abortion, which she answered by parroting the new favorite abortion defense on the left, claiming, “You know, again, I think people are beginning to realize that — you know, the Supreme Court took away a fundamental right. Not just the right to abortion, but the right to make private medical decisions.”
Or the Court decided that the taking of an unborn child's life cannot be explained away as a "private medical decision" instead of abolishing the category outright?
When a pro-life bill imposes a total ban on abortion, the pro-abortion crowd laments the cruelty of leaving out exceptions for rare and traumatic circumstances. But when a pro-life bill carves out exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, it suddenly becomes a question of medical privacy. And the liberal media will eagerly promote both angles whenever they get the opportunity.
This pro-abortion propaganda was made possible by Liberty Mutual and 4imprint. Their contact information is linked.
Click “Expand” to see the relevant transcript.
CNN’s New Day
08/05/22
7:47:52 AM ETBRIANNA KEILAR: A bill that would ban abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with exceptions, is one step closer to law in Indiana. The version that passed in the Senate provides exceptions for rape, incest, and for when the life of the pregnant person is at risk. As of now, the House bill maintained those exceptions. A final House vote is expected to happen today before the bill goes back to the Senate to approve or deny any changes.
Earlier, I spoke to Indianapolis OB-GYN, Dr. Caitlin Bernard. She is the doctor who provided a medication-induced abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio.
[Cuts to video]
KEILAR: Um, doctor, thank you so much for being with us this morning. Obviously, you're watching this bill in Indiana move to the full House where it is relying on exceptions, including for rape. Exceptions for the life of the mother as well.
You've treated many patients who would fall into these categories. What, to you, is the problem with relying on those exceptions?
DR. CAITLIN BERNARD: Yeah, thank you so much for having me.
You know, medicine is not about exceptions. I can't even begin to tell you how many patients I see in very unique situations — uh, that can't fit into those exceptions, that can't have a list of what I can and can't do. They can't wait to check with their lawyer. I can't wait to check with my lawyer. I need to be able to take care of patients when and where they need that care.
You know, the other part of this is this is going to exclude 98 percent of people who need abortions in Indiana. This is going to be very, very — um, restrictive and it's going to hurt Hoosier women.
KEILAR: How often do you see patients who are — are — would fit under these umbrellas for rape or for incest, or for their health or their life being in danger? Is this — is this pretty regular?
BERNARD: Absolutely. Every day I get a consultation for a patient who has — you know, a — a condition that fits into those exceptions.
KEILAR: How do things change when it comes — or how do you worry things may change when it comes to enforcing those exceptions?
BERNARD: That's a really good question we honestly do not know the answer to yet.
It's very scary for physicians to have a patient in front of you that you know exactly what they need, you know how to treat them. You know how to prevent hemorrhage. You know how to prevent infection. You know how to save their lives. And yet, you're wondering well, who’s going to — who do I have to check with? Who’s going to second-guess me?
Do I call my lawyer? Do I call the county prosecutor? You know — is this going to go to the state attorney general, which we know can be incredibly dangerous for physicians, as I've experienced? Um — and we don't know the answer to that, and that's one of the things that's making this such a difficult process for patients, right?
The impact on the physicians means that they can't take care of patients the way that they need to be able to and patients will be hurt.
KEILAR: In Kansas, where we just saw voters with record turnout say no, they do not want to pave the way for there to be restrictions on abortion — for there to be a ban on abortion, to eliminate access there — what is your reaction to seeing how that shaped up?
BERNARD: I think it's showing the truth, which is that people want to be able to make private medical decisions exactly that: privately with their physician or medical provider, their family, whomever it is that advises them.
Politicians have absolutely no space in making medical decisions or in instructing people how to — you know, make those medical decisions and — um, Kansas showed that. And we know that that's also true here in Indiana and we think that the legislature should listen to that.
KEILAR: How do you think the issue of abortion is going to animate voters coming up? We have midterm elections here. We've seen what's happened in Kansas. How do you think it's going to animate them?
BERNARD: You know, again, I think people are beginning to realize that — you know, the Supreme Court took away a fundamental right. Not just the right to abortion, but the right to make private medical decisions. And when that happens people begin to realize that that is not something that they want for themselves. That is not something that they want for their families, their daughters, their wives.
Um, and I — I think people will begin to realize that — you know, the right to privacy is something that every person should have. It has nothing to do with party. It has nothing to do with red-blue divisions. It's something that everybody needs — um, for their own health and safety. And so, I hope that people will begin to realize — you know, that — um, legislatures, politicians who stand up for that — those rights — the right of privacy in your medical decision-making is something that they want to preserve and — and people that they will vote for.
KEILAR: President Biden signed an executive order that paves the way for Medicaid to actually pay for the expenses of those who do travel out of state for abortion services. What else does the Biden administration need to do, in your opinion?
BERNARD: I think — you know, there’s nothing that they can do — you know, in executive orders or other actions — um, that will be able to bring back the right that the Supreme Court has taken away for us to be able to make private medical decisions. Physicians need to be able to take care of their patients when and where they need that care, and no amount of executive order is going to be able to bring that back right now.
KEILAR: Dr. Caitlin Bernard, thank you so much for being with us this morning.
BERNARD: Thank you.
