Conservative pundit and author Ann Coulter has joined the chorus of voices calling out the forced-birth—a.k.a. "pro-life"—movement, Republican Governor Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and the Texas Supreme Court for their unchecked zeal to eliminate reproductive freedom.
In a post on X, Coulter stated:
"The prolife movement has gone from compassion for the child to cruelty to the mother (and child)."
"Trisomy 18 is not a condition that is compatible with life."
While selling their agenda to the public, anti-choice zealots claimed reasonable medical exemptions would be available.
But the case of Kate Cox in Texas proved medical professionals' diagnoses and recommendations would be ignored in favor of the unqualified opinions of right-wing and Christian nationalist politicians and judges.
After Cox was granted permission to get an emergency abortion by a lower court last week, on Monday evening the Texas Supreme Court ruled Kate Cox does not qualify for an abortion under state laws based on her doctor's "good faith belief" she needs the procedure. Cox is a Dallas area mother of two children who planned with her husband to welcome a third child.
But Cox's fetus was found to have trisomy 18—a fatal condition—which will result in either stillbirth or a short, extremely painful life. Median life expectancy for live births of trisomy 18 infants is 2.5 to 14.5 days.
Cox's ability to have future children is also in jeopardy.
But scandal-plagued Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton disagrees with medical science. Paxton vowed to fight against Cox's court petition and force Cox to carry the fetus to term and to give birth—or have Cox die trying.
For Paxton and Christian nationalists like him, Cox's life and fertility are worth sacrificing to bring a baby with an agonizing, fatal condition into the world—even if only for a few days.
People across the world are calling out the cruelty and idiocy of people without even basic medical knowledge making medical decisions.
Kate Cox's story is unacceptable and heartbreaking.\n\nShe is trying to\u00a0get\u00a0the medical care she needs.\n\nHer healthcare choices should be between her and her doctors, not between her and Republicans trying to ban abortion.\n\nDemocrats will not stop fighting for women\u2019s health.— (@)
After exhausting their options in their home state, Cox and her husband decided to get the medical care she needs in another state.
In their near-total abortion ban, Texas law prohibits abortions beginning at fertilization, with exceptions only for cases in which a pregnant patient risks death or “substantial impairment of major bodily function."
Granting Texas AG Paxton's appeal, the seven-page Texas Supreme Court opinion tossed out the lower court's order blocking Paxton, the state and the Texas Medical Board from forcing Cox to carry to term or to miscarriage and to give birth naturally or by Cesarean section.
