The Week in Abortion

8.11.25 - 8.15.25

The United States’ steady descent into fascism moved at warp speed this week, as the Trump administration deployed the National Guard in D.C. over an alleged skirmish between one of his staffers and some 15-year-olds. At the same time, the anti-abortion movement played its part—shepherding fascism along at the state and local levels: targeting abortion providers, trying to exert control over the pro-choice laws in blue states, and coercing companies to block access to abortion pills.

And that’s not even the half of it: The Defense Secretary is cozying up to a pastor who wants women stripped of the right to vote, our private period data is under attack, and anti-abortion activists are still peddling the grotesque lie that we’re all “drinking abortions.”

The chaos isn’t random—it’s the strategy. The anti-abortion movement thrives on confusion and overwhelm, counting on us to tune out. That’s why we’re relentless about tracking every story, connecting the dots, and making sure you see the bigger picture.

So let’s dig into this week’s top-line analysis:

New Levels of Anti-Abortion Hypocrisy

Anti-abortion hypocrisy is nothing new: after all, the “pro-life” movement actively kills women. But what a banner week—even for them. We learned that the Texas county prosecutor who jailed a woman for self-managing her abortion allegedly paid for his mistress’ abortion in the 1990s.

The ACLU argues that Starr County District Attorney Gocha Ramirez knew state laws prohibit the prosecution of abortion patients, but targeted Lizelle Gonzalez anyway. Despite all the trauma and reputational damage the county inflicted on her, Ramirez and Starr County are still trying to dodge accountability, claiming “immunity” as law enforcement.

Gonzalez is suing for $1 million in damages and we sincerely hope she wins every penny—both for what she suffered, and to discourage law enforcement from ever prosecuting someone for the outcome of their pregnancy again.

But wait, there’s even more hypocrisy in Texas! Extremist anti-abortion attorney Jonathan Mitchell—best known for representing aggrieved abusive men—is now representing a woman who says her partner slipped her abortion pills. Mitchell is not just suing the man, but Aid Access and its founder, physician Rebecca Gomperts, for allegedly mailing the pills.

This is all part of Mitchell’s gambit to use lawsuits like this one to attack abortion providers and, he hopes, put the Comstock Act in front of the Supreme Court. It’s also part of a broader effort to sweepingly associate access to abortion pills with abuse and coercion:

Abortion Bans are Another Weapon for Abusers

AED talked to Gomperts about this strategy, and why it embodies anti-abortion hypocrisy at its boldest. The reality, Gomperts says, is that abortion restrictions actually endanger abuse victims; many Aid Access patients are victims who turn to them because at-home abortions with pills can be more private:

“Anti-abortion groups are using people in tragic situations, vulnerable situations, and weaponizing them for their political aims, and that is disgusting.”