According to MSNBC’s The Cross Connection Saturday guest host Katie Phang called GOP Rep. Mike Johnson an idiot for his opposition to near birth abortion. Not providing any evidence for allegations of idiocy, Phang could only argue that such abortions are non-existent.
During a segment with Planned Parenthood’s Dr. Colleen McNicholas, Phang introduced a clip from Wednesday's congressional hearing, “Well, getting onboard doctor would require people having a basic understanding. Republicans are showing their lack of understanding of the reality when abortions are performed during Wednesday’s hearing. Let's take a quick listen to what GOP Representative Mike Johnson asked a doctor on the witness stand.”
The clip showed Johnson engaged in a back-and-forth with Dr. Yashica Robinson with Johnson asking a simple question, “Do you support the right of a woman who is just seconds away from birthing a healthy child to have an abortion?”
Robinson avoided the question, “I think that the question that you’re asking—asking-- does not realistically reflect abortion care in the United States.”
After Johnson persisted, Robinson still refused to answer the question, “I am a medical doctor and that has never happened.”
Back live, Phang called Johnson, and by extension everyone else repulsed by such abortions, an idiot, “Good for this doctor, right doctor? For standing her ground and saying you're an idiot.”
She then told McNicholas, “You know, GOP lawmakers are making the spread misinformation and disinformation into a congressional art form” and wondered “what can health care providers do to combat this disinformation?”
After heaping more praise on Robinson, McNicholas tried to tie pro-lifers to the COVID-19 pandemic, “So, for a long time anti-abortion extremists have used the legislature to actually perfect their disinformation campaign. To prime the public for a scenario where they don’t trust public health and the truth is that we’re seeing the repercussions of that in other areas now, right? Responses to a pandemic, for example.”
McNicholas concluded by also demanding Johnson shut up, “we really make clear medicine is to be practiced in the room with a patient and physician and that there is no space in our exam room for legislators, especially those who know nothing about the care that we’re providing.”
If abortion seconds before birth is something that never happens, why do Democrats want to pass bills allowing for it and why was Robinson so reluctant to oppose it?
This segment was sponsored by Verizon.
Here is a transcript for the May 21 show:
MSNBC The Cross Connection with Tiffany Cross
5/21/2022
10:32 PM ET
KATIE PHANG: Well, getting onboard doctor would require people having a basic understanding. Republicans are showing their lack of understanding of the reality when abortions are performed during Wednesday’s hearing. Let's take a quick listen to what GOP Representative Mike Johnson asked a doctor on the witness stand.
MIKE JOHNSON: Do you support the right of a woman who is just seconds away from birthing a healthy child to have an abortion?
YASHICA ROBINSON: I think that the question that you’re asking—asking-- does not realistically reflect abortion care in the United States.
JOHNSON: In that scenario, would you—would you-- support her right to abort that child?
ROBINSON: I won’t entertain theoreticals. That’s not reality.
JOHNSON: It’s not a theoretical, ma’am, you’re a medical doctor.
ROBINSON: I am a medical doctor and that has never happened.
PHANG: Good for this doctor, right doctor? For standing her ground and saying you're an idiot, and you know what you're doing. She said it more politely than me. You know, GOP lawmakers are making the spread misinformation and disinformation into a congressional art form, but what can health care providers do to combat this disinformation?
COLLEEN MCNICHOLAS: You know, Dr. Robinson is one of our most prolific and—and-- articulate advocates for abortion rights. She is certainly a hero in the movement and—and-- all of us watching her were cheering her on and in that congressional hearing for sure. You’re right. So, for a long time anti-abortion extremists have used the legislature to actually perfect their disinformation campaign.
To prime the public for a scenario where they don’t trust public health and the truth is that we’re seeing the repercussions of that in other areas now, right? Responses to a pandemic, for example. I really think it is critical that we as health care professioners, professionals, our organizations, that we all stand up and—and—we really make clear medicine is to be practiced in the room with a patient and physician and that there is no space in our exam room for legislators, especially those who know nothing about the care that we’re providing.
