Thursday, Sep. 12, 2024
Did the Biden-Harris administration imprison anti-abortion activists for praying in public?
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign provided no evidence, and we found none, to back Trump's claim that the Biden-Harris administration imprisoned anti-abortion activists for praying in public.
Referring to Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump said Sept. 7, 2024 in Mosinee, Wisconsin: "Under Comrade Kamala, Christians and pro-life activists are rotting in prison for the crime of praying in public."
Similar prayer claims were debunked after Massachusetts anti-abortion activist Paulette Harlow was sentenced in June to two years in prison for blockading a Washington, D.C., abortion clinic.
Federal law prohibits threats of force, obstruction and property damage intended to interfere with reproductive health care services.
In April, Wisconsin Watch found it was false that Colorodan Rebecca Lavrenz was prosecuted for praying in the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
She was convicted of four misdemeanors, including entering and remaining, and disorderly conduct, in a restricted building.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- WFAA Donald Trump full rally in Mosinee, WI (Sept. 7, 2024)
- USA Today No, woman not imprisoned for praying at abortion clinic
- Associated Press Anti-abortion activist convicted for blockading a reproductive health clinic, not for praying there
- Reuters Fact Check: Paulette Harlow convicted for blocking abortion clinic, not praying
- U.S. Justice Department Protecting Patients and Health Care Providers
- Wisconsin Watch Was great-grandmother prosecuted for praying in Capitol Jan. 6?
About fact briefs
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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