Pro-abortion activists are outraged with the White House after outgoing communications director Kate Bedingfield called them “out of step” with the mainstream Democratic Party in a statement published on Saturday.
President Joe Biden has been roundly criticized by pro-abortion activists for not doing enough to protect the ability for women to obtain the procedure on a federal level.
“The president has been showing his deep outrage as an American and executing his bold plan — which is the product of months of hard work — ever since this decision was handed down,” Bedingfield told The Washington Post.
“Joe Biden’s goal in responding to Dobbs is not to satisfy some activists who have been consistently out of step with the mainstream of the Democratic Party,” the statement continued. “It’s to deliver help to women who are in danger and assemble a broad-based coalition to defend a woman’s right to choose now, just as he assembled such a coalition to win during the 2020 campaign.”
Renee Bracey Sherman, founder of the pro-abortion group We Testify, responded to the statement in a lengthy Twitter thread.
Sherman began, “Someone should tell @WHCommsDir [Bedingfield] that abortion access is consistently polling higher than her boss.”
Someone should tell @WHCommsDir that abortion access is consistently polling higher than her boss.
— Renee Bracey Sherman (@RBraceySherman) July 9, 2022
“I am happy to take anyone from the White House with me when I go pick up people who have to travel across the country for a simple ass procedure that could be solved by a few signatures so they can explain why they can’t do anything to their faces,” Sherman continued. “The President refuses to meet with people who’ve had abortions face to face. How are you doing all you can for us when you won’t meet with us?”
All this White House has for people who need abortions is empty promises and disrespect.
— Renee Bracey Sherman (@RBraceySherman) July 9, 2022
Sherman added, “All this White House has for people who need abortions is empty promises and disrespect.”
Democratic strategist Matt McDermott added, “it is remarkably concerning that there are members of the Biden Administration who seem more frustrated at pro choice activists than at Republicans who systematically dismantled abortion rights.”
It is remarkably concerning that there are members of the Biden Administration who seem more frustrated at pro choice activists than at Republicans who systematically dismantled abortion rights.
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) July 9, 2022
Left-wing reporter and activist Jordan Zakarin wrote, “remarkable statement from the White House, defending its tepid response to abortion by trashing… the left.”
“Vote harder… and go fuck yourselves.”
— Jordan Zakarin (@jordanzakarin) July 9, 2022
In a follow up tweet he mocked the White House response, writing, “Vote harder… and go f-ck yourselves.”
The national Green Party also jumped into the fray, saying that the White House has “made their stance pretty clear now.”
White House: “Pres. Biden’s goal in responding to Dobbs is not to satisfy some activists that are consistently out of step.”
They made their stance pretty clear now. https://t.co/PBBz4K8uYD
— Green Party US 🌻 (@GreenPartyUS) July 11, 2022
Far-left podcaster Cenk Uygur called the statement “UNACCEPTABLE.”
1. Attacking pro-choice women when you’re supposed to be defending them is UNACCEPTABLE. 2. They want to be Republicans so bad. Just go and join the other party already. 3. Biden White House has endless excuses for doing nothing. You’re supposed to fight for us, not against us! https://t.co/FYtXWkm0Pj
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) July 10, 2022
“1. Attacking pro-choice women when you’re supposed to be defending them is UNACCEPTABLE. 2. They want to be Republicans so bad. Just go and join the other party already. 3. Biden White House has endless excuses for doing nothing. You’re supposed to fight for us, not against us!” Uygur wrote.
National Women’s Law Center founder Fatima Goss Graves called the quote “terrible.”
This quote is terrible.
We are in unprecedented times and it is going to take all of us. Abortion rights activists are not your problem. https://t.co/xyF3qWV15B
— Fatima Goss Graves (@FGossGraves) July 10, 2022
“This quote is terrible,” Graves wrote. “We are in unprecedented times and it is going to take all of us. Abortion rights activists are not your problem.”
