SHOCK POLL: One QUARTER of Men Think Women ‘Should Be Charged With Murder’ For Getting Illegal Abortion

Tommy ChristopherMay 14th, 2022, 3:34 pm
 
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 03: Amanda Guerra (R) holds a sign reading, 'Abortion is Murder' as she counter protests during a rally supporting the right for abortions to be protected by the federal government on May 03, 2022 in Miami, Florida. In a leaked initial draft majority opinion obtained by Politico and authenticated by Chief Justice John Roberts, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the cases Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey should be overturned, which would end federal protection of abortion rights across the country. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A shockingly high percentage of Americans think a woman who gets an abortion in violation of a state law “should be charged with murder” — with men significantly more likely than women to say so.

The Justice Samuel Alito-authored draft opinion that would overturn the constitutional right to abortion has energized abortion rights supporters, but polling also shows the enormous gulf between the majority who support Roe and the minority who do not.

One stunning illustration of the divide is a new The Economist/YouGov poll in which respondents were asked “Do you think that a woman who has an abortion that violates state law should or should not be charged with murder?”

The results were stunning: among all respondents, a not-insignificant 19 percent replied “Should be charged with murder,” and another 24 percent saying they were “not sure,” with 54 percent saying no, a woman should not be charged with murder if she violates a state abortion law.

Among men, 24 percent replied “Should be charged with murder,” and another 25 percent saying they were “not sure,” with only a bare 51 percent majority saying no, a woman should not be charged with murder.

Among Republican respondents, a whopping 67 percent were open too the idea of a murder charge, with 35 percent responding “Should be charged with murder,” and another 32 percent saying they were “not sure,” with just 33 percent ruling out a woman being charged with murder if she violates a state abortion law.

Respondents to the same poll were also evenly split when asked whether they agree that “Abortion is the same as murdering a child,” with 44 percent saying they either “Strongly agree” (29%) or “Somewhat agree” (15%), versus 45 percent who said they either “Strongly disagree” (34%) or “Somewhat disagree” (11%), and 11 percent who were “not sure.”

Other polling shows that Democrats are much more enthusiastic about voting than they were before the leak, and that the overturning of constitutionally protected abortion rights is twice as likely to activate Democratic voters in the midterms as it is Republicans.

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