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By Craig DeLuz
OPINION – As election day approaches, Democrats are struggling to find issues positions that resonate with voters. On most issues important to voters (The border crisis/Immigration, the economy/inflations and crime/public safety) Republicans have a significant lead. But one issue where the left has an advantage abortion, causing them to lean heavily on the issue to drive her voters to the polls. As a result, the narrative of the Democratic Party surrounding abortion has reached a level of dissonance that is both shocking and deeply troubling. Recent messaging has centered around the deaths of two Black women in Georgia, Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, following their use of FDA-approved abortion medications.While Democrats are hoping to ride these tragedies to electoral success. But in reality, they have not only brought to light the serious risks associated with these drugs but have also exposed a pattern of denial and exploitation by Democrats and the media.
Contrary to media narratives, these women did not die because of the much-maligned state pro-life laws. They died after taking abortion pills that were marketed as safe and effective—pills that do not require a doctor visit or even a follow-up examination to ensure their health or well-being following their use. Instead, they suffered greatly, experiencing painful complications that the abortion industry and its supporters seem all too willing to ignore.
And why did they suffer? Misleading information by the media regarding the safety of these drugs and fearmongering about abortion restrictions in the state of Georgia.
In the case of Amber Thurman, her tragic death from sepsis, a condition for which the FDA has specifically warned providers to monitor patients after administering mifepristone, underscores the absence of proper medical oversight that should accompany such procedures. According to Probulica, “She showed up at Piedmont Henry Hospital in need of a routine procedure to clear it from her uterus, called a dilation and curettage, or D&C.But just that summer, her state had made performing the procedure a felony, with few exceptions. Any doctor who violated the new Georgia law could be prosecuted and face up to a decade in prison.” But in reality Georgia law allows for the removal of a dead, unborn child, which is exactly what a D&C would do.
Candi Miller’s story is equally distressing, as she endured days of suffering, just out of reach of the medical assistance she needed—a situation compounded by the false narratives surrounding legal repercussions for seeking care. Propublica reported, “Miller ordered abortion pills online, but she did not expel all the fetal tissue and would need a dilation and curettage procedure to clear it from her uterus and stave off sepsis, a grave and painful infection. In many states, this care, known as a D&C, is routine for both abortions and miscarriages. In Georgia, performing it had recently been made a felony, with few exceptions.” Despite meeting the very definition of a high risk pregnancy (she was 41 years old with a history of lupus) Miller was allowed to order the abortion drug online and utilize it with absolutely zero medical supervision.
In both of these cases, these women were failed by the abortion industry, politicians and the media as they were left to navigate the fallout of their choices alone, as the promise of safe, medically supervised care turned out to be misleading at best.
While the abortion industry touts these pills as the future of reproductive health, the reality reveals a much darker side. These tragic losses raise important questions about the accountability of those touting the supposed safety of a self-managed abortion. The FDA’s relaxed regulations have created an environment in which women are left vulnerable and uninformed about the potential dangers, ultimately leading to fatal outcomes. Yet, the political machinery benefitting from these narratives seems far too eager to downplay these risks while pointing fingers at pro-life legislation that actually aims to protect women and unborn children.
Moreover, the complicity of the media in this discourse cannot be overstated. The dreadful narratives surrounding these tragic deaths have been almost exclusively molded to serve a political agenda rather than seeking the truth. A cursory search will reveal an avalanche of coverage placing the blame squarely on state pro-life laws, while the culpability of a profit-driven abortion industry is conspicuously absent. Instead of examining the inherent dangers of the abortion pills and advocating for better conditions to safeguard women’s health, the media chooses to spin a narrative that exploits their anguish for political gain.
As Marjorie Dannenfelser from SBA Pro-Life America has stated, the common factors in these casualties—dangerous abortion drugs and a lack of medical care—should spur a serious investigation into the practices of the abortion industry. Families suffering such profound loss deserve an honest reckoning, not just a political narrative. The media’s drive to sensationalize rather than journalistic integrity obscures the real danger at hand, which is not limited to state legislation but lies in the systemic issues surrounding the use of abortion drugs.
In the end, the deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller serve not as a convenient point for political points but as a call for scrutiny and accountability. The abortion pill, under the aegis of the FDA, has been heralded as a cornerstone of reproductive freedom, but the reality is that it is fraught with dangers that few are willing to acknowledge. The stories of these women warrant reflection, not exploitation. Rather than using their tragedies as fodder for political warfare, it is time to focus on the actual failures of a system that claims to champion women’s health while leaving them vulnerable and alone in their most desperate moments.
CRA Director of Communications, Craig J. DeLuz has almost 30 years in public policy and advocacy. He currently hosts a daily news and commentary show called The RUNDOWN and serves as an Ambassador for Project 21. You can follow him on X at @CraigDeLuz.
