Joe Kent on Abortion

Kent is an anti-abortion extremist who compared abortion to slavery and did not believe abortion should be legal in any circumstances. In 2022, he said he would seek a national abortion ban, a stance he flip-flopped on in 2024.

Kent Said Abortion Shouldn’t Be Legal In Any Circumstances And Flip-Flopped Positions On A National Abortion Ban

Joe Kent Compared Abortion To Slavery

HEADLINE: "Washington Republican Softens Stance After Repeatedly Comparing Abortion To Slavery" [Rolling Stone, 6/2/24]

5/4/22: Kent Likened Abortion To Slavery. According to a post on Joe Kent’s Facebook, “These ghouls took pleasure in shutting down our businesses, muzzling our children & forcing us to take a vaccine or lose our jobs - they are now outraged that the federal government will allow us to vote on wether or not we should murder babies. Evil exists. Someday our nation will view the horrors of abortion like we do slavery. The fight is good versus evil. The left celebrates the slaughter of infants, there’s no compromising with them, they only respect & respond to power. When we take power back we cannot play business as usual with them, they are at war with us & humanity - time for us to fight back.” [Facebook, Joe Kent, 5/4/22]

Kent Believed Americans Would Look At Guaranteeing The Right To Abortion In Horror And Disbelief, The Same Way Americans Look At The United States’ History Of Slavery. According to Rolling Stone, “From there, [Kent] went on to compare legal abortion to American slavery: ‘I remember learning about slavery and learning about segregation and being amazed that there was a time in my parents’ life, who aren’t that much older, that segregation was a very real thing. I was like, ‘Man, that’s crazy that that happened in their lifetime.’ And then looking back two lifetimes from that, we had slavery. And I’m like, ‘Man, that’s insane — that my grandparents, their great grandparents, they grew up then.’ I think there’s going to be a time in our lives when we’re in our 60s or 70s where our kids come up to us, and they’re gonna be like, ‘So, it was OK with everybody that you could just go kill babies?’ I think that that’s coming very soon. I think abortion is absolutely evil in the way that it’s gone on.” [Rolling Stone, 6/2/24]

 

Kent opposed abortion in all circumstances

Asked In What Circumstances Abortion Should Be Legal, Kent Replied “None.” According to iVoterGuide, “QUESTION: Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed? KENT: None, no crime justifies killing an innocent unborn child.” [iVoterGuide, Viewed 5/16/24]

Kent Said If A Person Became Pregnant As A Result Of Rape Or Incest They Should Be Given Resources To See Their Pregnancy Through And Make Adoption Easier If That Was Their Preferred Path. According to the Columbian, "Like Perez alluded to in her video, Kent has anti-abortion beliefs. He previously told The Columbian he was ecstatic that Roe v. Wade was handed back to the states and supported components in Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham’s proposed federal abortion ban bill.  That legislation would prohibit abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy with rare exceptions for rape, incest and the health of the mother. Kent said if a person becomes pregnant because of rape or incest, they should be given resources to see their pregnancy through and make adoption easier if that is their preferred path. If a mother’s health is at risk and an abortion is needed to save her life, it is permissible in Kent’s eyes — but he doesn’t view it as an abortion, rather a ‘triage.’” [The Columbian, 10/7/22]

Kent Said He Believed Life Began At Conception And Prayed For An End To Abortion. According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, “Miller: Let’s turn to another issue. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, it’s your turn to take this first. How would you approach abortion rights as a member of Congress? Kent: So Roe v. Wade was just overturned. It’s back at the state level. The Supreme Court has ruled that this is no longer a federal issue. Now look, it’s no mystery. I’m pro-life. I believe life begins at conception. I pray for an end to an abortion. I pray that abortion ends every day.” [Oregon Public Broadcasting, 10/27/22]

 

kent reversed his position on a national abortion ban

July 2022: Kent Said “I Would Move To Have A National Ban On Abortions.” According to an interview on KGW News, “ANCHOR: “Do you support the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, a woman’s right to have an abortion? KENT: Yes, I 100% support Roe versus Wade being overturned. I would move to have a national ban on abortions. I believe life begins at conception. I think we have to have a pro-life culture in our country that takes care of women who are pregnant who might not necessarily want the baby.” [YouTube, KGW News, 7/28/22] (video) 00:15:40

1/22/24: Kent Tweeted “I Don’t Support A National Ban On Abortion.” According to a post on Joe Kent’s Twitter, “Post Dobbs decision it’s a state issue. I don’t support a national ban on abortion. I’m focused on federal issues like securing our border so our neighbors stop getting killed by fentanyl. You're on the record voting against securing our border & much more.” [Twitter, Joe Kent, 1/22/24]

Kent Said Republicans Need To Walk The Walk On Upholding Abortion Bans. According to the Columbian, “Moving forward, Republicans need to reposition their messaging for them to ‘walk the walk’ in upholding abortion bans, Kent said. He suggested that Republicans should focus on providing federal and state assistance to crisis pregnancy centers for people to seek care. ‘For far too long, I think Republicans never really had to step up to the plate of the abortion issue. They could just say 'Yeah I'm pro-life,' or they knew that it was a good bumper sticker for a fundraiser,’ he said. ‘I think that's incumbent upon our messaging. Not just saying, 'You can't kill babies anymore.' That doesn't work.’” [The Columbian, 10/7/22]

 

Kent Suggested He Would Vote For A 15-Week Abortion Ban If It Came To The Floor In The House

In Response To A Question Asking If Kent Would Support Lindsey Graham’s 15-Week Abortion Ban Legislation, Kent Replied, “I Am Always Gonna Vote For Life.” According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, “MODERATOR: Last month, Lindsey Graham introduced a bill that would ban abortion at 15 weeks. That was in the Senate. Would you vote for that ban if it were in the house? KENT: I think it’s a waste of time because the Supreme Court is just going to rebuke us. Now, if I’m put on the record and that bill makes it to the floor, I am always gonna vote for life. I am pro-life, 100 percent, like that’s it. But, at the end of the day, it would mostly be performative.” [Oregon Public Broadcasting, 10/27/22]

 

2024: Kent deleted his anti-abortion views from his campaign website

On Kent’s 2022 Campaign Website, He Said “I Will Work Tirelessly To Protect The Rights Of Unborn Children.” According to the archived 2022 Joe Kent campaign website, “I am a pro-life Christian. I will work tirelessly to protect the rights of unborn children. I will work to cut off federal funding for abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood.” [Joe Kent for Congress 2022, Viewed 5/16/24]

Kent’s 2024 Campaign Site Made No Mention Of Abortion. According to CNN, “Running for the same seat in 2024, Kent’s issues page makes no mention of abortion at all. In fact — the entire issues page has disappeared from his campaign website altogether.” [CNN, 4/12/24]