Ben Carson presidential campaign, 2016/Abortion

	; ; Presidential candidate; Ben Carson
	Profession: ; Retired Pediatric Neurosurgeon;
	Carson on the issues:
	Taxes • Banking policy • Government regulations • Budgets • Agricultural subsidies • Federal assistance programs • Foreign affairs • Federalism • Natural resources • Healthcare • Immigration • Education • Abortion • Gay rights
	Republican candidate:
	Donald Trump
	Ballotpedia's presidential election coverage; 2028 • 2024 • 2020 • 2016

Ben Carson announced his presidential run on May 3, 2015.^[1]

Ballotpedia's scope changes periodically, and this article type is no longer actively created or maintained. It may also contain neutrality issues.

This page was current as of the 2016 election.

During a September 2015 speech at the Heritage Action Presidential Forum in Greenville, S.C., Ben Carson argued that Congress should defund Planned Parenthood and force President Obama to veto the legislation. He said, "Congress needs to call his bluff on that. ...Congress has all sorts of tools for dealing with that. They can defund everything. They can defund his breakfast."^[2]

In August 2015, Carson’s campaign responded to criticism regarding his history of referring women carrying fetuses with genetic defects to abortionists. "He believes people ought to have all the facts available to them, but he is steadfastly opposed to abortion. Referring it on does not mean he is advocating it, he’s advocating they are getting qualified medical supervision. He has always believed that the battle over abortion had to be waged in the hearts and minds of Americans, that you cannot legislate morality. But he also believes we’re winning the debate," Carson’s communications director Doug Watts said.^[3]

Asked to comment on whether the use of fetal tissue should be banned in medical research in August 2015, Carson responded, "I don’t know that it needs to be banned, but it should be made very clear to people that the types of things we’re discovering by using fetal tissue can also be discovered by using non-fetal tissue. So it’s not like it is the only source as they try to make it sound."^[4]

Ben Carson asked, "How can a society that kills millions of innocent unborn babies and then labels anyone opposing the practice 'anti-woman' claim even a modicum of goodness?" in an April 2014 op-ed.^[5]

Carson expressed his opposition to abortion, the importance of protecting human life, his support for ultrasounds, for providing pregnant women with support and for education to prevent young women from becoming pregnant before they are prepared in a January 2014 op-ed in The Washington Times.^[6]

Carson wrote, "My entire professional life has been devoted to saving and enhancing lives. Thus, the thought of abortion for the sake of convenience does not appeal to me."^[6]

Carson wrote, "Some people oppose having pregnant women view ultrasonic pictures of their developing babies because they do not want an emotional bond to develop. Careful unbiased contemplation however, might yield the conclusion that such bonding is essential to the survival of mankind."^[6]

Carson wrote, "It is important to try to understand the emotional state of young women seeking an abortion. Instead of judging and condemning them, we need to provide compassion and support. They need to be provided with easy access to adoption services and information about assistance available to them if they decide to keep the baby. I have visited many warm, inviting facilities around the country that exist solely for the purpose of helping these young women."^[6]

Carson wrote, "It is equally, if not more important, to reach these young women before they become pregnant. Forget about those politically correct people who say all lifestyles are equal and inform those young women about the true consequences of out-of-wedlock birth for those who are not financially independent. We need to make sure they understand that they can provide a much better life for themselves and their children when they plan ahead and value themselves appropriately."^[6]

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term Ben + Carson + Abortion