Biden isn’t in his right mind. But even he should know this looks bad.
Because Joe Biden set the White House on fire with one stunning action.
President Joe Biden’s decision to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Cecile Richards, the former head of Planned Parenthood, has sparked fierce backlash from pro-life advocates, who condemn her legacy as one defined by millions of abortions under her leadership.
Richards served as Planned Parenthood’s president from 2006 to 2018, a tenure during which nearly four million abortions were performed according to a fact sheet from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which analyzed the organization’s annual reports.
At a White House ceremony on November 20, Biden praised Richards for her “absolute courage,” calling her a champion of freedom. On social media, he lauded her as a leader who “fearlessly leads us forward to be the America we say we are — a nation of freedom.”
He added in a post on X: “Through her work to lift up the dignity of workers, defend and advance women’s reproductive rights and equality, and mobilize Americans to exercise their power to vote, she has carved an inspiring legacy.”
Pro-life voices, however, strongly disagreed. Lila Rose, president of Live Action, blasted the honor in a post on X:
“Cecile Richards presided over the abortions of 3.9 million babies as president of Planned Parenthood. She belongs in jail. Not in the White House receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
Richards, who succeeded Gloria Feldt as Planned Parenthood president, earned a reputation for turning the organization into what she proudly called the “largest kick-butt political organization.”
Yet, under her leadership, non-abortion health services declined, while both abortions and taxpayer funding saw sharp increases.
Reports from Live Action revealed that Planned Parenthood’s annual government funding surged by 67% during Richards’ tenure, jumping from $336.7 million in 2006 to $563.8 million in 2018. Simultaneously, the annual number of abortions rose by nearly 15%, climbing from 289,750 to 332,757.
Her presidency also became embroiled in controversy. The Center for Medical Progress (CMP) accused Planned Parenthood of illegally selling fetal organs, a scandal that erupted after a CMP video showed Dr. Deborah Nucatola, a medical director for the organization, casually discussing the harvesting of fetal organs during abortions.
Richards later apologized for Nucatola’s “tone,” though the allegations continued to cast a shadow over her leadership.
Critics have pointed to numerous other scandals, including allegations of Medicaid fraud, failure to report child sexual abuse, and falsely claiming to provide mammograms.
Live Action also highlighted internal accusations of racism within Planned Parenthood, as well as Richards’ defense of the organization’s founder, Margaret Sanger, despite Sanger’s well-documented white supremacist views.
Pro-life advocates argue that Richards’ legacy is far from the inspiring narrative Biden portrayed. Some went as far as to frame her recognition as a grim reflection of America’s abortion culture.
“She has been given a medal for killing the most number of Americans,” wrote one critic on X.
Carole Novielli, writing for Live Action, echoed that sentiment: “An America that allows and even promotes the killing of innocent preborn human beings is not truly free, nor can it claim to stand for freedom when it unjustly robs children of their right to life.”
While Biden celebrated Richards as a champion of rights and equality, pro-life advocates contend her leadership represents a tragic chapter in America’s history, marked by the loss of millions of unborn lives.
Stay tuned to Prudent Politics.
