Wisconsin State Rep. Joel Kitchens (R) on Thursday drew fierce backlash on X (formerly Twitter) for what critics described as the “despicable” and misogynstic way in which he argued against a potential 14-week abortion ban.
“The question is whether abortion is health care and If you believe a fetus is a human life, then abortion is not health care,” Kitchens said during a debate on the Wisconsin State Assembly floor in footage that was shared online by Heartland Signal.
“You know, in my veterinary career, I did thousands of ultrasounds on animals, you know, determining pregnancy and that kind of thing,” Kitchens continued. “So, I think I know mammalian fetal development better than probably anyone here. And in my mind, there’s absolutely no question that’s a life, and I think the science backs me up on that.”
Authoritarianism expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat, who is a history professor at New York University, was among those aghast at Kitchens’ spin.
“Misogyny in action ― women, animals, it’s all the same,” she wrote.
MSNBC’s Symone Sanders-Townsend echoed the sentiment, writing, “Women = animals? Mmm.”
Others agreed: