‘Abortion is actually going to save democracy’ by mobilizing voters, Planned Parenthood president tells MSNBC

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Planned Parenthood president: Abortion could 'save' democracy

Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson said on MSNBC's "The ReidOut" that abortion could be used as a political issue to "save democracy" in the midterms.

Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson called abortion the issue that could "save democracy" while appearing on MSNBC’s "The ReidOut."

Host Joy Reid asked Johnson on Tuesday about plans to combat "anti-abortion candidates" following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. While Johnson was dismayed at the restrictions set by Republican legislatures, she remarked how it can be a good chance to mobilize voters.

"It’s about mobilization. Look, what we have seen in the immediate aftermath of Roe v. Wade is that we saw these anti-abortion candidates continue to double down and pursue a deeply radical, extreme unpopular agenda around continuing to constrain access to [abortion]. I think what we have done is basically show people what the choices are. You can vote for the people who are really extreme on these issues, or you can actually vote to govern your own body with people who actually support your access to choice," Johnson said.

Planned Parenthood promised to spend over $50 million during the 2022 midterm elections. (REUTERS/Gaelen Morse)

She pointed to Kansas where voters rejected a state constitutional amendment that would have allowed lawmakers to regulate abortion as an example.

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"Just look at Kansas. Abortion rights were literally on the ballot and we saw Kansas come out in droves to support the right to choose. And so, I think that’s incredibly important. The majority of Americans do support access to abortion in every single state. When they really look at what’s happening, when they look at the number of states that have done these restrictions, it’s also actually helping us understand how gerrymandered the states to become, how it is possible that you can have a state where there is a majority support but you actually can’t have the laws that you want because you have these politicians who have been safely put into these states," she added.

Johnson then quoted a colleague from NARAL and agreed that "abortion is actually going to save democracy."

Abortion became a larger election issue after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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A report on Wednesday showed that Planned Parenthood is planning on spending over $50 million in the 2022 midterm elections. This number will beat the company’s previous record spending amount of $45 million in 2020.

Johnson has frequently appeared on Reid’s show and denounced the pro-life movement in May, suggesting they are in line with racist and segregationist attitudes.

"This is a super minority position which is being imposed essentially by Christian nationalists, five Christian nationalists on the court," Reid said. "Does it hit you differently to know that this has grown out of this essentially segregation movement?" 

Alexis McGill Johnson denounced Planned Parenthood's original founder Margaret Sanger in 2021 and promised to "examine" her influence on the company. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images for Supermajority)

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"I think it’s completely consistent with the segregationist movement," Johnson answered.