On Thursday, the FBI announced it was offering a $25,000 reward for information on violence against nine pro-life facilities and one Planned Parenthood. On her Friday MSNBC show, Andrea Mitchell took the 10 percent and made it seem like the FBI was exclusively focused on “terrorism” against pro-abortion activists.
Against the backdrop of the March for Life and the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Mitchell asked former Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, “What about the issue, Cecilie, of what the FBI is calling domestic terrorism? They are offering $25,000 rewards for any information on recent attacks against ten reproductive health care clinics. How concerning are these attacks and the implications for the women, the emotional stress on women and health care workers?”
Mitchell’s only excuse would be the wording in the FBI statement, but it is a poor one as the press release included a statement from Director Chris Wray, “Today’s announcement reflects the FBI’s commitment to vigorously pursue investigations into crimes against pregnancy resource centers, faith-based organizations, and reproductive health clinics across the country.”
MSNBC also showed pictures of six of the facilities or suspects. Notably, the three not shown were the ones with Jane’s Revenge and “Bans off our bodies” graffiti and the image of the Everett, Washington, facility whose advertisements would suggest a pro-life position.
As for Richards, she took Mitchell’s blatant partisan spin and ran with it:
Of course, it's horrifying to think that this is happening in the United States., but it is. You are right, these attacks on doctors, on health care providers. But, Andrea, I think you mentioned a point that to me is really important and that is, what the Republican party through these abortion bans, the, kind of, bounty hunter system that is in place in places like Texas, it has created fear across the country for women, for young people, for families.”
What about the fear for the ninety percent of facilities in this story that somehow got ignored?
Still, Richards further declared, “And that, to me, that is why we have seen such a rejection of these policies. As these abortion bans are in effect longer and longer, we're seeing more women, more patients who can't get medical care because doctors and health care providers are terrified of breaking laws that haven't even really been fully explained and written by non-medical professionals so it's a climate of fear. I’m glad the federal government has stepped in.”
Mitchell did not issue a correction at any point in the show, but that is what you can expect from someone who recoils at the words “pro-life.”
This bit of fake news was sponsored by Progressive.
Here is a transcript for the January 20 show:
MSNBC Andrea Mitchell Reports
1/20/2023
12:27 PM ET
ANDREA MITCHELL: What about the issue, Cecilie, of what the FBI is calling domestic terrorism? They are offering $25,000 rewards for any information on recent attacks against ten reproductive health care clinics. How concerning are these attacks and the implications for the women, the emotional stress on women and health care workers?
CECILIE RICHARDS: Of course, it's horrifying to think that this is happening in the United States., but it is. You are right, these attacks on doctors, on health care providers. But, Andrea, I think you mentioned a point that to me is really important and that is, what the Republican party through these abortion bans, the, kind of, bounty hunter system that is in place in places like Texas, it has created fear across the country for women, for young people, for families.
And that, to me, that is why we have seen such a rejection of these policies. As these abortion bans are in effect longer and longer, we're seeing more women, more patients who can't get medical care because doctors and health care providers are terrified of breaking laws that haven't even really been fully explained and written by non-medical professionals so it's a climate of fear. I’m glad the federal government has stepped in.
