RFK Jr.’s campaign spent the entire month of May publicly changing its position on supporting an abortion ban, taking every position on the issue — from declaring the mother should have the final say to directly advocating for an abortion ban.
No matter how hard he tries, RFK Jr. can’t hide from his true desire to sign a national ban. RFK Jr. made headlines last year when he took the same extreme position on banning abortions nationwide as Mike Pence.
RFK Jr. chose an anti-IVF running mate, who just last week defended the Dobbs decision and claimed she could “see a benefit” to allowing extreme state legislatures around the country to enforce draconian bans on abortion care and potentially punish people who receive or administer care.
As we move closer to Election Day, RFK Jr. has floated multiple positions on reproductive rights, which he has repeatedly dismissed as a “culture war issue,” to confuse the press and voters, and sneak his way to Election Day without real scrutiny of his anti-reproductive health care stance.
But as RFK Jr. routinely dismisses the issue and spreads lies about so-called “late-term” abortions, it is becoming harder to hide his extreme views.
View the timeline of RFK Jr. hiding his anti-reproductive health care stance and support for abortion bans:
August 2023: In an interview with NBC, RFK Jr. says he supports a national abortion ban at 15 weeks and that he believes states have a right to protect the child.
November 2023: RFK Jr. said he did not have ideas for what President Biden should do to support abortion rights after Roe v. Wade was struck down.
December 2023: RFK Jr.’s campaign hires the far-right anti-abortion activist Angela Stanton-King as a campaign consultant.
March 2024: RFK Jr. announces his vice presidential pick, Nichole Shanahan, who believes IVF is “one of the biggest lies being told about women’s health.”
April 2024: RFK Jr.’s campaign tells the Washington Post that concerning abortion, he “does not want to add fuel to the fire” with an issue that is “fundamentally divisive.”
May 1, 2024: RFK Jr. tells Sage Steele that he thinks there is a very good argument for banning some abortions, but also that women should decide on when to terminate a pregnancy.
May 8, 2024: Nichole Shanahan tells Sage Steele she was completely unaware of RFK Jr.’s position on abortion.
May 9, 2024: The campaign’s director of Black outreach, Angela Stanton-King, tweets her confusion about RFK Jr.’s statements.
May 9, 2024: RFK Jr.’s campaign tells CBS News in a statement that he believed “the mother has the final say.”
May 10, 2024: Stanton-King posts a video saying “after a bunch of going back and forth, and not only by me, but also people on the campaign,” RFK Jr. would be reversing his position on the issue again.
May 10, 2024: RFK Jr. posts on social media that “abortion should be legal up until a certain number of weeks, and restricted thereafter.”
May 14, 2024: Shanahan says the campaign supports an abortion ban that “moves around between 15 and 18 weeks.”
May 16, 2024: RFK Jr. says he supports restricting abortion access at “fetal viability” and that comments from running mate Nicole Shanahan — about the campaign supporting federal limits “between 15 and 18 weeks” of gestation — do not reflect his views.
Published: Jun 24, 2024