Tudor Dixon calls hypothetical 14-year-old incestual rape survivor ‘perfect example’ to not receive abortion care

In an interview released last week, Michigan GOP gubernatorial primary frontrunner Tudor Dixon emphatically defended her near-total abortion ban proposal by saying a hypothetical 14-year-old incestual rape survivor would be a “perfect example” of someone who should carry a pregnancy to term.

During an interview for “The No BS Newshour,” Dixon told host Charlie LeDuff that she was “solid” on the idea of an abortion ban with the only exception being the life of the mother.

“The question would be like, a 14-year-old who, let’s say, is a victim of abuse by an uncle. You’re saying carry that?” LeDuff asked.

“Yeah, perfect example,” Dixon responded in the middle of the question.

When asked by LeDuff to clarify, Dixon said that the way conception occurs does not matter in defining “life.”

“I know people who are the product [of rape and incest]. A life is a life for me,” Dixon said. “That’s how it is … That’s my feeling.”

Leading GOP candidate for Michigan governor Tudor Dixon says a 14-year-old victim of incestual rape should not be eligible for abortion care: “Yeah, perfect example… I know people who are the product. A life is a life for me. That’s how it is.” pic.twitter.com/FGKAD86VC8

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) July 20, 2022

Earlier in the interview, Dixon dismissed polling that shows abortion bans like hers being unpopular in Michigan. A poll released last week by The Detroit News and WDIV showed 58% of Michigan voters strongly opposing the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. The poll also reported that 86% of Michigan voters would be influenced by a candidate’s stance on abortion in determining whether to support them or not.

Dixon contradicted herself in the past on whether she supports or opposes an exception for the life of the mother. Last September, she told the MIRS Monday podcast that there should not be an exception for the “health of the mother.” During the “No BS” interview, Dixon defended the past comments as a matter of semantics, saying “health of the mother and life of the mother are different.”

Dixon’s stance matches the 1931 dormant abortion law in Michigan, which criminalizes abortions in all cases except to save the life of the mother. Although the Dobbs decision made the law active again, a court of claims judge issued a temporary injunction in May while Planned Parenthood of Michigan argues against the constitutionality of the law in Michigan Supreme Court.

Because of this, abortion in Michigan is only temporarily protected. In response, over 750,000 Michigan voters signed a petition by the Reproductive Life for All organization to allow the state’s voters to cast ballots on a constitutional amendment to codify the right to an abortion. The state’s Bureau of Elections is currently reviewing the petition before it makes a decision on whether it will appear on the November ballot, according to The Detroit News.

Last month, Dixon received the endorsement from the largest anti-abortion organization in Michigan, Right to Life of Michigan.

A poll released last week also by The Detroit News and WDIV showed Dixon continuing to slightly lead the primary field, with 19% of voters favoring her. Businessman Kevin Rinke garnered the second-highest amount of support at 15%, which is within the poll’s margin of error (plus or minus 4.4 percentage points).