Carson Compared Abortion To “Human Sacrifice.” According to the Washington Times, “Ben Carson, retired neurosurgeon-turned-conservative rock star — and an open follower of the Christian faith — likely ruffled liberal feathers with his most recent comment on abortion, during which he likened it to the biblical act of sacrificing humans. […] Mr. Carson’s response seemed to refer to biblical passages that highlight God’s condemnation of pagan nations and religions that relied on human sacrifice — including the burning to death of children — as a means of appeasing and honoring their worshiped figures. ‘It’s interesting,’ Mr. Carson said, Raw Story reported, ‘that we sit around and call other ancient civilizations ‘heathen’ because of human sacrifice, but aren’t we actually guilty of the same thing?’” [Washington Times, 7/2/14]
In Same Interview, Carson Claimed Americans Were Moving Closer To The Position That “Abortion Is Murder.” According to LifeNews, “Dr. Ben Carson has a way of putting things in perspective that endears him to pro-life activists. The neurosurgeon and the author of six best-selling books makes another compelling point about the issue of abortion that is sure to have everyone who opposes abortion concurring. […] ‘Well, it’s interesting that we sit around and call other ancient civilizations heathen because of human sacrifice but aren’t we actually guilty of the same thing?’ said Dr. Carson in reference to a question about abortion. ‘The good thing is the American populace is moving closer and closer to understanding that abortion is murder. Every year we’re getting better on that regard.’” [LifeNews, 8/6/14]
[Audio] 2015: Carson Said That Exceptions For The Life Of A Mother In Abortion Bans “Used To Be A Legitimate Argument. It’s Not Much Of A Legitimate Argument These Days.” According to Ben Carson on the Hugh Hewitt Show, “[Hugh Hewitt]: Now Governor Walker is on with Sean Hannity as we speak, and it began by asking him to defend his answer on rape and abortion exception, which Marco Rubio denied having, and which Scott Walker defends holding. What’s your position on that? [Ben Carson]: Well, I am about as pro-life as anyone can be. And one of the things that I would have brought out had that question been given to me is I would have said the instances where a mother’s life is in danger by delivering the baby has decreased dramatically, as medial knowledge and ability has increased. And that used to be, that used to be a legitimate argument. It’s not much of an argument these days.” [Hugh Hewitt, 8/6/15]
[Audio] 2015: Carson Seemed To Imply Improvements In Medical Technology Meant Exceptions For The Life Of The Mother Were Not Legitimate. According to Ben Carson on the Hugh Hewitt Show, “[Ben Carson]: Well, I am about as pro-life as anyone can be. And one of the things that I would have brought out had that question been given to me is I would have said the instances where a mother’s life is in danger by delivering the baby has decreased dramatically, as medial knowledge and ability has increased.” [Hugh Hewitt, 8/6/15]
2015: Carson Called For Congress To Pass The So-Called Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. According to Politico, “And in March of this year, several weeks before he announced for president, Carson took to Facebook to urge support for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would ban abortions at 20 weeks with exceptions for rape, incest, and when a woman’s life at risk. ‘Children are our most precious resource and our efforts to protect them should know no bounds,’ he wrote. ‘I urge our legislators in Congress to swiftly vote on the legislation known as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. It is legislation that values life which in the end is what we are here for.’” [Politico, 8/19/15]
2024: Carson Said, “We Must Not Stop” At The Overturning Of Roe v. Wade And Called For A National Abortion Ban. According to the Guardian, “In a new book, the retired neurosurgeon, former US housing secretary and potential Trump vice-presidential pick Ben Carson calls for a national abortion ban – a posture at odds with most Americans and even Donald Trump himself. Hailing the 2022 Dobbs v Jackson US supreme court ruling that removed the federal right to abortion, Carson writes: ‘We must not stop there … the battle over the lives of unborn children is not yet finished. Many states have made abortion illegal because of the Dobbs decision, yet the practice continues in many more states.’” [Guardian, 5/3/24]
Carson Called For A National “Right To Life” Through Legislation. According to the Guardian, “’What is needed is legislation that guarantees the right to life for all American citizens, including those still in the womb. Therefore, we must be boldly vocal about saving our fellow human beings through the legislative process. They are counting on us!’” [Guardian, 5/3/24]
Carson Joined In Op-Ed Calling For Roe v. Wade To Be Overturned In The Supreme Court’s Ruling In Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Saying It Would Constitute A “Critical Victory.” According to an op-ed from Ben Carson and others at the Daily Signal, “Soon—by this summer—the Supreme Court will decide Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case examining the constitutionality of a Mississippi law that protects unborn children after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. The high court’s ruling in the Dobbs case potentially could overturn Roe v. Wade. […] Overturning Roe v. Wade would be a critical victory, and one that would result from decades of hard work from the conservative legal and pro-life movements.” [Daily Signal, Ben Carson et al, 1/21/22]
Carson Op-Ed: Courts Leaving Roe v. Wade In Place Would Be “Unmitigated Failure,” And Would Leave An “Unworkable Framework.” According to an op-ed from Ben Carson and others at the Daily Signal, “If the court leaves Roe in place while allowing the Mississippi law to stand, the contours of the new abortion regime in which Roe is undermined would provide new avenues to pursue life-affirming policies. It would still leave an unworkable framework in place, requiring continued efforts to fully correct a grave constitutional error. If the court relies on Roe to strike down the Mississippi law, it would be an unmitigated failure by a majority-conservative bench to faithfully interpret the Constitution. Indeed, anything less than overturning Roe is a failure at some level.” [Daily Signal, Ben Carson et al, 1/21/22]
January 2022: Carson Op-Ed: While Roe v. Wade Being Overturned Would Be A Milestone, It Would Largely Set Off A “New Phase Of Mobilization” And Policymaking. According to an op-ed from Ben Carson and others at the Daily Signal, “The high court’s ruling in the Dobbs case potentially could overturn Roe v. Wade. If Roe is overturned, abortion wouldn’t be automatically outlawed. Rather, states would have an opportunity to further protect life, and we would see a national debate in the halls of Congress. […] So when Roe goes, the pro-life movement will enter a new phase of mobilization and pro-life policymaking—not just in legislatures, but in civil society more broadly.” [Daily Signal, Ben Carson et al, 1/21/22]
The American Cornerstone Institute Was Listed Among Different Groups Vowing Support For Future Anti-Abortion Policymaking. According to an op-ed from Ben Carson and others at the Daily Signal, “So when Roe goes, the pro-life movement will enter a new phase of mobilization and pro-life policymaking—not just in legislatures, but in civil society more broadly. That is why the American Cornerstone Institute, the Conservative Partnership Institute, Family Research Council, The Heritage Foundation, and Susan B. Anthony List are committed to work alongside our pro-life allies to make the post-Dobbs world as protective as possible for women and unborn children.” [Daily Signal, Ben Carson et al, 1/21/22]
Carson Joined An Op-Ed Calling For Working With Crisis Pregnancy Centers As Part Of Broad Anti-Abortion Action. According to an op-ed from Ben Carson and others at the Daily Signal, “Guiding us through all this will be our unwavering commitment to the principle that all life is precious and that the unborn—the most vulnerable among us—must be protected from intentional destruction. We must fight against the false history, false science, false constitutional interpretation, and false morality of the pro-abortion movement. We must not punish women who have had abortions, but instead work with organizations including crisis resource centers to help provide healing options.” [Daily Signal, Ben Carson et al, 1/21/22]
Carson Joined An Op-Ed Which Called For “Peacefully Praying And Offering Support To Women Outside Abortion Clinics.” According to an op-ed from Ben Carson and others at the Daily Signal, “As conservative leaders, we are committed to preparing for this moment and working together to protect those who cannot protect themselves. From policymaking to volunteering with a local pregnancy resource center to peacefully praying and offering support to women outside abortion clinics, every one of us has unique gifts and a role to play in our effort to build a culture of life. That is exactly what we intend to do. Join us.” [Daily Signal, Ben Carson et al, 1/21/22]
Ben Carson Op-Ed In Des Moines Register HEADLINE: “Under Donald Trump, America Prospered. Let's Go Back To That.” [Des Moines Register, Ben Carson, 11/16/23]
Carson Praised Trump For “Delivering The Greatest Victory For Pro-Life Americans In 50 Years” By Appointing The Justices Who Overturned Roe v. Wade. According to a Ben Carson op-ed in the Des Moines Register, “Trump’s first term saw a great renewal of the American spirit and the traditional values that made our country the greatest on Earth. He ended federal taxpayer funding for abortion providers and vigorously defended the religious liberty of pro-life groups. […] Trump named nearly 300 conservative judges to the federal bench, including three Supreme Court justices, dedicated to interpreting our Constitution as written. Most consequentially, Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett were pivotal votes in overturning Roe v. Wade last year and delivering the greatest victory for pro-life Americans in 50 years.” [Des Moines Register, Ben Carson, 11/16/23]
Carson Cheered The Overturning Of Roe. v. Wade And Said He Was “Grateful” For The Dobbs Decision. According to the Guardian, “Carson writes: ‘I’m grateful that in my lifetime I was able to hear these incredible words established by the supreme court of the United States: “Held, the constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.’ Planned Parenthood v Casey was a 1992 case that upheld Roe. Thirty years later, tilted 6-3 to the right by Trump, the court brought both rulings down. Carson continues: ‘The supreme court’s decision in Dobbs v Jackson was a crucial correction to the error of Roe v Wade, and I am certainly grateful for that correction. However, we must not stop there.’” [Guardian, 5/3/24]
Carson Said Women Needed To Be Re-Educated To Understand They Are Defenders Of Fetuses. According to the Raw Story, “Newly hired Fox News contributor Dr. Ben Carson proposed on Friday to ‘re-educate the women’ so that they would stop having abortions. Speaking to a group of overwhelmingly Christian attendees at the Values Voter Summit, the retired neurosurgeon said that your health ‘is the most valuable thing that you have.’ […] ‘What we need to do is re-educate the women to understand that they are the defenders of these babies.’” [Raw Story, 10/11/13]
Carson Said Women Get “All Riled Up” When They Hear About Defending Abortion Rights. According to the Raw Story, “‘You know, there are those of us in this society who have told women that there’s a war on them because that cute little baby inside of them, they may want to get rid of it and there are people that are keeping you from doing that,’ Carson continued. ‘And women say, ‘No, no, they’re not doing that to me! No!’ And they get all riled up.’” [Raw Story, 10/11/13]
At The 2020 Republican National Convention, Carson Defended Trump From Claims Of Racism. According to The Hill, “Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson sough to dispel criticism that President Trump is racist Thursday night at the Republican National Convention — an issue brought up by multiple speakers during the four-day event. ‘President Trump does not dabble in identity politics. He wants everyone to succeed and believes in the adage, ‘a rising tide lifts all boats,'‘ Carson said. ‘Many on the other side love to incite division by claiming that President Trump is a racist. They could not be more wrong.’” [The Hill, 8/27/20]
Carson At The 2020 RNC: “What Is Racist Is The Fact That African Americans Have The Highest Abortion Rate,” Adding “Trump Is The Most Pro-Life President In Our Country’s History.” According to The Hill, “The famed neurosurgeon also pointed to the president’s increased funding for historically Black colleges and universities and his work on prison reform. He then pivoted, reaffirming Trump’s stance against abortion. ‘What is racist is the fact that African Americans have the highest abortion rate,’ Carson asserted. ‘President Trump is the most pro-life President in our country’s history. He will continue to fight for those who cannot yet speak.’” [The Hill, 8/27/20]
Carson On The Black Lives Matter Movement: “What Is The Number One Cause Of Loss Of Life In The Black Community In America? Abortion.” According to the Washington Examiner, “Carson: Well there’s no question that we should be concerned about them [Black Lives Matter Movement]. But what I have said is that let’s look at the bigger picture. What is the number one cause of loss of life in the black community in America? Abortion. Let’s ask ourselves why is that the case? And let’s look at those root causes and see what we can do about it. Let’s ask ourselves, what is the number one cause of death for a young black male in our major cities? It’s homicide. Let’s ask ourselves what can we do in order to stop that practice? That’s what I’m saying. Let’s look at the bigger issues about where most of the lives are being lost. Let’s not carve out just one small segment. And it’s not that those lives aren’t important. They are important, but let’s not be going after the little gnat when there’s a big bee sitting there.” [Washington Examiner, 9/23/15]
HUD Secretary Carson Attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) For Her Abortion Stance, After Omar Joked About Him Looking Sleepy At A Congressional Hearing. According to USA Today, “Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar for her position on abortion after the freshmen congresswoman mocked him for appearing sleepy during a Congressional hearing. It started Tuesday when the Minnesota Democrat retweeted a clip of a testy exchange between Carson and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., in which Pressley explained to the secretary that only a lawmaker can ‘reclaim’ their time during a hearing. ‘Not sure he was fully awake, maybe he meant to reclaim his time back to sleep,’ Omar said of the exchange, which occurred during Carson's appearance before the House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday.” [USA Today, 5/23/19]
Carson Asked For Rep. Omar To Recognize He Cares “About All People, Even Those She Doesn’t Recognize As Having A Right To Life.” According to HUD Secretary Ben Carson on Twitter, “Since you brought it up... I know what it's like to actually be sleepy, especially after 18-hour surgeries and operating on babies in the womb. I hope @IlhanMN knows I care about all people, even those she doesn't recognize as having a right to life.” Carson quote-tweeted Rep. Ilhan Omar, “Not sure he was fully awake, maybe he meant to reclaim his time back to sleep.” [Twitter, @SecretaryCarson, 5/22/19]
The Precise Rationale For Carson Changing The Subject To Abortion Was Unclear. According to USA Today, “It was not immediately clear why Carson, a staunch abortion opponent, turned the conversation toward that subject.” [USA Today, 5/23/19]
Carson: ‘I Think It’s Worth Looking At All The Alternatives That We Have’ To Defund Planned Parenthood, Including Shutting Down The Government. According to Ben Carson appearing on CNN State of the Union, “[Jake] TAPPER: […] I know you oppose the funding of Planned Parenthood. I interviewed Congressman Paul Ryan about this issue and he said that it’s unrealistic to demand that Planned Parenthood be defunded because the Constitution gives President Obama the power in an equal powers way and there’s just no way Congressman Ryan said that this can be forced on the President’s desk. Do you agree with that or do you think that it’s worth shutting down the government over? CARSON: It think it’s worth looking at all the alternatives that we have. You know throughout my medical career I constantly had people saying well this is the way it has to be done this is the way it’s always been done this can’t be done, I don’t listen to that stuff. I think there is a way to get it done.” [Transcript - CNN State Of The Union, 2016, 9/27/15]
[Video] Ben Carson Said He Was “Fully Behind” Efforts To Defund Planned Parenthood.” According to Ben Carson on Fox Special Report via YouTube, “Brett Baier: So I assume that you're fully behind the effort to defund Planned Parenthood. They come back and say there are other things that organization does, cancer screenings, women's health. They list a whole bunch of things. Ben Carson Not only am I fully behind it, I encourage people to sign our petition on BenCarson.com to defund it.” [Fox Special Report With Bret Baier via YouTube, 7/29/15]
Carson On Planned Parenthood, 2015: “Tearing Babies Apart? Is That What You Mean?” “The Medical Ethics Of Selling Body Parts And Manipulating Babies In Order To Preserve Certain Body Parts? It’s Illegal.” According to the Boston Globe, “Ben Carson drew the ire of some retirement community members Wednesday afternoon after he called Planned Parenthood a ‘disgraced’ organization. Several people shouted ‘come on!’ and a few people walked out when a resident asked Carson — a GOP presidential candidate — whether babies feel pain as they are being ‘pulled apart from limb by limb.’ Carson, a retired doctor whose specialty was pediatric neurosurgery, did not answer directly, but said: ‘It’s really hard to say that’s not a human being.’ Later, after an otherwise uncontentious event, the 63-year-old Detroit native was asked by reporters whether Planned Parenthood had violated any medical ethics. The organization is currently at the center of a major political battle on Capitol Hill over its fetal tissue pratices. ‘Tearing babies apart? Is that what you mean?’ he said. ‘The medical ethics of selling body parts and manipulating babies in order to preserve certain body parts? It’s illegal.’” [Boston Globe, 9/30/15]
The Planned Parenthood Videos Were Discredited. According to NBC News, “After an anti-abortion group released videos in 2015 that purported to show officials from Planned Parenthood talking about selling fetal tissue, several states immediately terminated Medicaid provider agreements with the group's affiliates. The videos were largely discredited, but the states involved said they found the allegations troubling.” [NBC News, 12/10/18]
The Supreme Court Declined To Take Up An Appeal By Anti-Abortion Activists Requesting The Court Throw Out Over $2 Million In Damages To Planned Parenthood After Secretly Recording Abortion Providers. According to Reuters, “The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a bid by anti-abortion activists to throw out more than $2 million in damages they were ordered to pay Planned Parenthood after secretly recording video of abortion providers in a scheme to try to show the illicit sale of aborted fetal tissue for profit. The justices turned away the appeal by David Daleiden and his group, the Center for Medical Progress, of a lower court's decision in 2022 upholding most of the damages in a lawsuit by Planned Parenthood, a women's healthcare and abortion provider, accusing the defendants of conspiracy, eavesdropping and other claims. The lower court rejected the argument made by the defendants that with the secret recording they were exercising their right to free speech under the U.S. Constitution.” [Reuters, 10/2/23]
2014: Carson Called The Supreme Court’s Decision In Favor Of Hobby Lobby “Fortunate” And Critical “Because It Indicates That The Majority Of The Court Still Thinks That Religious Beliefs And Personal Choice Have A Valid Place In American Society.” According to the Washington Times, “It’s fortunate the Supreme Court of the United States saw fit last week to rule that corporations could not be coerced into covering religiously objectionable forms of birth control for their employees. This was a critical ruling because it indicates that the majority of the court still thinks that religious beliefs and personal choice have a valid place in American society. The margin of the split decision, however, is alarming because it reminds us of how close we are to having a government that will subject moral convictions to its bureaucratically directed control.” [Washington Times, 7/8/14]
Carson Said Requiring Those Opposed To The Use Of Birth Control To Be Financially Responsible For Its Distribution Was “Un-American And Abusive To The Concept Of Freedom Of Religion.” According to the Washington Times, “However, legally requiring the side opposed to a form of birth control to be financially responsible for its distribution to any employee who wants it is distinctly un-American and abusive to the concept of freedom of religion.” [Washington Times, 7/8/14]
1992: Carson Appeared In An Ad Opposing A Maryland Abortion-Rights Referendum. According to the Washington Post, “With a month left until voters decide the issue, the campaign surrounding Maryland’s abortion-rights refer-endum deteriorated last week into a confusing barrage of charges and countercharges that left many voters wondering what they are being asked to judge. Little wonder. Even one of the prime narrators in a television ad placed by opponents of the ballot measure, Question 6, could not seem to make up his mind. Benjamin Carson, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a star of a commercial spon-sored by the Vote kNOw Coalition, asked that the ad be pulled off the air and said some information in it ‘needs explanation to attain accuracy.’” [Washington Post, 10/4/92]
Carson Later Distanced Himself From Appearing In The Anti-Abortion Ad Following Criticism Of The Accuracy Of Its Claims, With Carson Saying He Only Did The Ad As A Friend Asked. According to the Washington Post, “Benjamin Carson, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a star of a commercial spon-sored by the Vote kNOw Coalition, asked that the ad be pulled off the air and said some information in it ‘needs explanation to attain accuracy.’ The ad had finished its run on Tuesday anyway, and sponsors said they stood by its claims: that the new abortion law has no health and safety regulations for abortion clinics, that it would allow profit-making abor-tion referrals and would not require parental notification before minors have abortions. Carson, who narrated the ad, issued a statement Thursday questioning the validity of the ad’s claims on referrals and regulation of clinics. ‘I was asked by a friend to appear in the advertisement and did not realize the full political implications of that action,’ he said.” [Washington Post, 10/4/92]