I dread being asked my stance on abortion. Not because I’m scared to give an answer, but because my answer doesn’t fit neatly into a “pro-choice” or “pro-life” package.
Sometimes it seems easier just to stay silent.
American discourse sucks at nuance and the current abortion debate is so grotesque that it seems impossible to have a conversation that fully captures the complexity of reproductive rights.
If you want the short version of my view, I’m pro-choice.
If you want the long version – well, how much time do you have?
I believe in bodily autonomy (it’s why, while pro-vaccine, I am against government vaccine mandates).
But pro-choice is rarely absolute.
All but six states – Oregon, Alaska, Colorado, New Mexico, Vermont, New Jersey – and the District of Columbia restrict abortion in some manner.
Here in Washington state, abortion is legal up to fetal viability, which is defined by state law as “the point in the pregnancy when, in the judgment of the physician on the particular facts of the case before such physician, there is a reasonable likelihood of the fetus's sustained survival outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures.”
Personally, I believe in a woman’s right to choose up to 24 weeks. Longer if bringing the pregnancy to term endangers the life of the mother.
But I also believe this: abortion is not something to be celebrated, nor should it be considered a suitable alternative to widely available methods of contraception.
I believe most women who decide to have an abortion make that choice with the weight of careful consideration. But those who brag about the ease in which they decided to terminate their unborn child are only fueling a movement to take the right to choose away entirely.
I’m reminded of when actress Martha Plimpton bragged that she got her first abortion in Seattle.
“It was my best one!” she said as the crowd laughed. “If I could Yelp review it, I totally would.”
On Tuesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James told a cheering crowd about how, 20 years ago, she “walked proudly” into Planned Parenthood to get an abortion. In Baltimore, two small girls held signs at a rally with their parents that read “abortion is normal.” Photos circulated online of a woman who claimed to have had the procedure 21 times.
Even as someone who is opposed to the erosion of reproductive rights, I find casual dismissal of abortion quite alarming.
On the other end of the spectrum, I can hardly stomach the disgusting way in which some anti-abortion activists choose to voice their opinions.
On Twitter, pro-life author Lila Rose posted a graphic image of a late-term aborted baby. It came across my timeline without warning. What if a woman who lost a pregnancy saw that? Can you imagine how damaging it would be?
In D.C., as Senator Elizabeth Warren gave a speech in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, a counter-protester shouted repeatedly about her wanting to “dismember children in the womb.”
Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz made fun of protesters who were rallying against the possible reversal of Roe, calling them “over-educated, under-loved millennials who sadly return from protests to a lonely microwave dinner with their cats, and no bumble matches.”
And as if America didn’t have enough tearing us apart at the moment, Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell saw his country’s collective pain as an opportunity to entice voters.
“The Republicans won’t stop with banning abortion. They want to ban interracial marriage. Do you want to save that? Well, then you should probably vote,” he tweeted, linking to a registration site.
It is enough crazy to keep moderates from engaging in the debate altogether.
Let’s be clear: We will never have a national consensus on abortion. But if we hope to have a true national dialogue, we must learn to discuss it with the nuance, gravity, compassion, and understanding that the subject demands.
That means the most reasonable among us need to join the conversation.
Abortion is a difficult subject. But we can’t let the extremes be the only ones talking about it.
Alliance Defending Freedom sues Washington state over alleged assault of female wrestler by trans opponent. Man attacks signature gatherer, steals voter data. State lawmaker cries during ethics hearing.
Prefer to listen? https://audioboom.com/posts/8915130-lies-hurt-people-6-10-26
Your daily reminder to opt out of the teachers’ union as membership dues used to fight sane voter initiatives. Republicans try to lean into ballot harvesting as Dems surge in late counting. Failed homeless authority will live to see another day. Finally, it’s primary day in Maine.
Prefer to listen? https://audioboom.com/posts/8914575-teachers-unions-spend-big-against-parents-6-9-26
These remarks were delivered to the Snohomish County Lincoln Day Dinner on May 17, 2024.
The following remarks were delivered to the Whatcom County Lincoln Day Dinner on March 23, 2024, in Ferndale, Washington.
I struggled with what to talk to you about tonight.
Well, that’s not true. I didn't struggle with what to talk to you about – I struggled with whether I was brave enough to say what I wanted to say.
When I'm invited to speak to groups, I don't want to offend anyone or be too controversial. So, I reached out to a few of your fellow party members to ask whether any topics were off limits or wouldn't go over well with the crowd.
I got some good advice.
Then I decided to ignore that good advice entirely.
Too much is at stake to be polite.
As we sit here tonight, we are in the final battle of a war.
A war that has pit sanity against insanity.
Pragmatism against idealism.
A war that has sacrificed the public good, in favor of a twisted idea of progress.
It's a war that began long before I moved here 15 years ago. It started silently and it was mostly waged in the shadows.
Most of us didn't even realize that a war was being fought. We were too caught up in our own lives and our own problems. ...
Prosecutors have declined to file charges against a trans wrestler for sexual assault, citing issues around consent. Male teacher claims to be non-binary, gets to watch girls undress. Governor Ferguson tries to gaslight voters about the economy. Iran is coming to Seattle for the World Cup.
Reminder: Regular live shows of unDivided will resume Wednesday, June 3.
Team unDivided has now been in Idaho for four days. As we depart, we've yet to see a homeless person, a tent, a needle, graffiti, a pride flag, anyone with blue hair, or gas over $5 a gallon.
Reminder: Regular live shows of unDivided will resume Wednesday, June 3.
Team unDivided is in Idaho to debunk the claim being made by Washington state Democrats that capital flight is a myth.
This week, progressive political strategists launched an effort to undermine my support of citizen initiatives – arguing that my opinions are no longer protected by the First Amendment and should therefore be regulated by the state.
You read that correctly.
In a 24-page complaint to the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, an obscure organization that styles itself as Washingtonians for Ethical Government called for an immediate investigation into my public support of two voter initiatives that will appear on the ballot in November – one to protect girls' sports, the other to restore parental rights.
Kruse is possibly the most prolific of political content creators in Washington, and her promotions of Let’s Go Washington’s initiatives do not qualify as editorial content. Kruse is not an impartial journalist or just an opinionated member of the public; she is a commercial advertiser with multiple advertisers. Although Kruse was once employed as a reporter by bonafide news outlets, she is no longer commonly considered as a journalist in Washington State and was recently denied press credentials by the Washington State Capitol Correspondents Association, a decision that was upheld by both state and federal courts.
Their argument goes something like this:
I host a podcast.
My podcast sells spots to advertisers.
I endorse products for said advertisers.
Therefore, my endorsements have value.
Therefore, my political endorsements have value.
Therefore, any political endorsements I make must be reported to the Public Disclosure Commission as “in-kind” donations.
There are several factual inaccuracies with the complaint, like the assertion that state and federal courts have determined I’m not a journalist. That is false. While a federal judge declined an emergency motion to have my press pass reinstated in the final days of the 2026 legislative session, our case is ongoing and only in the early stages. I am confident we will prevail.
There are also several legal issues with the complaint, not the least of which is a pesky little thing called the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
But don’t be fooled – the goal of the complaint isn’t for it to stick. The goal is to harm my reputation in the court of public opinion.
Still, for the sake of posterity, it’s worth noting a few things:
The government cannot assign a numerical value to my political speech. Such an act would be extraordinary and without precedent in the history of the United States.
I have never received anything of monetary value to support or oppose any political candidate, initiative, or issue. Quite the contrary. I have given untold hours, made personal donations, and driven tens of thousands of miles around the state to lend my voice to issues and people I believe in.
I have the right to charge advertisers for endorsements, or to provide endorsements free of charge if I wish. And I have. In the years following the pandemic, I featured local small businesses on my show free of charge – and gave them attention on social media, urging followers to support businesses that were struggling to recover from government-imposed lockdowns. I also did this in 2020 while still employed as a news reporter at FOX 13 in Seattle, running a weekly segment on my political show called “Small Business Sunday.”
Providing paid endorsements of products is a common practice in broadcasting and has been for decades. Many of our current advertisers were once endorsed on the radio by the late Dori Monson. Several local radio hosts who endorse products on air have also made public statements about their support of current voter initiatives. Ari Hoffman of KVI and John Curley of KIRO Radio not only endorse products but have stood alongside me in support of girls and parents.
If the Public Disclosure Commission were to rule that my speech must be regulated, it would also have to start regulating the speech of dozens of mainstream radio hosts – and perhaps even the Editorial Board of the Seattle Times.
Beyond that, this issue is settled law in Washington.
The Washington State Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that endorsements from talk show hosts do not constitute in-kind contributions.
At the time, radio hosts John Carlson and Kirby Wilbur were organizing and promoting Initiative 912, aimed at stopping an incremental increase in the gas tax.
'The mere fact that a broadcast has value to a campaign, or includes solicitation of funds, votes, or other support, does not convert commentary into advertising when it occurs during the content portion of a broadcast for which payment is not normally required,' Justice Barbara Madsen wrote for the court.
But again, the point of the complaint is not to upend existing law or get the government to throw the First Amendment to the wind.
The progressive political strategists behind the stunt, Powerhouse Strategic, is the firm used by opponents of the Let’s Go Washington initiatives.
Few news outlets that covered Tuesday’s press release saw fit to mention this connection. Why? It’s not as if it’s a secret. Kristin Hyde, a communications specialist with Powerhouse Strategic, sent the release out with her name and contact information on it.
Powerhouse not only brought previous PDC complaints against Let’s Go Washington, but it also represents the Washington State Democratic Party, as well as two of the largest unions bankrolling the anti-initiative campaigns: SEIU and the Washington Education Association.
Still, The Seattle Times characterized Washingtonians for Ethical Government (WFEG) only as a “campaign finance watchdog.”
Even if it were a legitimate watchdog group and not a cover for deeply partisan operatives, in the past 10 years it’s only ever questioned the “ethics” of conservatives.
In case there was any doubt, I fully intend to continue my work fighting for what I truly believe is the women’s rights issue of our generation: the erasure of girls at the hands of ideologues.
After all, I was fighting this issue long before Let’s Go Washington decided to run initiatives to change state law. In fact, it was through episodes of unDivided that LGW met two of the teen athletes – Ahnaleigh Wilson and Frances Staudt – who would go on to become important voices in the campaign to protect female athletes. I like to think our coverage of the issue is a big reason why voters will get a say in November. I am very proud of that.
I will also keep fighting for parental rights, as I was before LGW started collecting signatures for a parental bill of rights. My advocacy on this issue goes back to 2023, when I helped a rag-tag group of citizens collect signatures to try to run a referendum on Senate Bill 5599. The law allows children to be hidden from parents if they don’t think their family approves of their gender identity. I was protested, threatened, and called a transphobe. All the usual stuff. The referendum fell short, but my motivation to help parents keep their families together only grew.
As I said on my show this week: They can try to bankrupt my business. They can try to destroy my reputation. They can even try to kill me. None of it puts them on the right side of history.
So, we fight on. What other choice is there?
