The horrors of Planned Parenthood with Abby Johnson

September 16, 2015

WRITER

Former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson joined Glenn on radio Tuesday to relate some of the horrors she experienced while working for the now highly scrutinized organization.

At first, she said she became numb to everything she was doing, but then something happened that woke her up and changed her life.

Listen or read the transcript below.

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.

GLENN: Now, I read a story about a woman named Abby Johnson. This is a remarkable, remarkable woman. She is a woman who went to work for Planned Parenthood, and she was named the employee of the year in 2008. She left in 2009 because of the things that she saw from the first day and then she grew numb to it and then she had an awakening. She joins us now. Welcome to the program, Abby Johnson.

ABBY: Thank you so much for having me on.

GLENN: I'm thrilled to meet you. I've read your story and I've read what you have said and what you have seen. And I find it remarkable. Could you just take us through some of the things -- I'd like you talk about the refrigerator and the -- and the security codes and everything else that just show how dark and demonic this is.

ABBY: Sure. Well, I worked at Planned Parenthood for eight years. I was their clinic director in Bryan/College Station, Texas. And, you know, I got -- I got into Planned Parenthood because I was basically told the talking points. I was told that they were there to help women, that we were there to help, you know, poor women get health care, and that abortion was just a really small part of what we did.

And, you know, honestly, it was what I didn't know about Planned Parenthood, that's what really got me into trouble. You know, I was raised pro-life. But, you know, we weren't activists of any sort. We didn't sit around the dinner table and talk about Planned Parenthood or what they did or anything like that.

And so once I started working there, I mean, that was really when the numbing began. You know, I remember being told after, you know, working there for a while that our alarm code was 2229 because that spelled "baby." And everybody in the office thought that was just so funny and so ironic.

And I remember in August of 2009, the year I left, we had a meeting -- a budget meeting with my -- with my supervisor, and I remember looking at the budget and thinking, "You know, something has to be wrong," because they were beginning to impose an abortion clinic quota, a certain number of abortions that we had to perform in order to meet our budget and in order to receive financial incentives, in order to receive bonuses. And that number had doubled from 2009 to 2010.

And that didn't make sense to me because, you know, I believed -- I told the media, I told my family, I told my friends that our goal at Planned Parenthood was to reduce the number of abortions. So, you know, if that were true, why in the world were we doubling our abortion clinic quota? And I remember saying something to my boss about it, and she just started laughing. And she said, "Well, we wouldn't want to reduce the number of abortions, Abby. This is how we make our money."

And, you know, at the time I didn't know if it was that the organization was changing or if it was that I was just finally high enough up in management now that I was seeing what the organization had been about all along. And that was profit, that was money.

And then ultimately, in September of 2009, I witnessed a live ultrasound-guided abortion procedure. And that's different than how we usually performed abortions inside of Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America, their standard is that abortions are performed in a blind manner. And so the abortionist will take a suction instrument and will just blindly poke around inside the woman's uterus until he thinks he has enough blood and tissue in a glass jar. That glass jar goes through a pass-through in the wall to a lab called the POC lab. Now, POC stands for "products of conception." That's obviously the baby, but you can't say "baby" inside of an abortion clinic. so we said "POC" or "pock," or if the staff was feeling funny, we said that it stood for "pieces of children."

And someone inside of the lab, called the POC technician, would reassemble the parts of the baby to ensure that everything was accounted for, to make sure that we didn't leave a head or a hand or a leg inside the woman's uterus. And then it would either go to a research company that was paying for us the baby's body parts. Or it would go into a -- into a freezer that we called the "nursery." And there it would wait until a group like Stericycle, a medical waste company would come and pick it up.

And that was just the way that I knew abortions to be performed day in and day out. There's about 3500 abortions performed every day in the United States. And so this doctor though that came from out of town, he was explaining that in his facility, he actually uses an ultrasound because, surprisingly enough, it's safer if a doctor can see what he's doing while he's performing surgery on a woman.

And my job during the abortion was to hold the ultrasound probe on the woman's abdomen. We did the dating, and we found that the baby was 13 weeks gestation. And I could see on the screen that it looked like a baby. It had all the parts of a baby. And I watched really just in horror as the baby began to recoil and move away from the abortion instruments. And the baby was fighting and struggling for its life.

And the doctor asked the technician to turn on the suction machine. And he said, "Beam me up, Scottie." And the machine was turned on. And, you know, I remember watching just part of this baby being suctioned into that -- that cannula, that suction tube.

And the very last thing I saw on the screen -- you know, x-ray on ultrasound, anything that's hard, anything that's dense tissue like a bone shows up as white, bright white, on the screen. And the last thing I saw was this little tiny backbone floating around in the woman's uterus, and finally I thought, "Go into the suction tube."

And, you know, I left the room that day just feeling sick, just feeling the numbness removed from my body. And I suddenly realized that this was a child in the womb. That there was humanity there. If there was humanity, that meant there was a human being. And if there was a human being, that meant that that child had human rights and should be given the rights of any -- any of us human beings.

And I knew that if there were human rights, then that child had infinite dignity and infinite worth and that I had to start standing up against abortion, against Planned Parenthood, against other abortion providers that were manipulating and coercing women into having abortion procedures. And so that's essentially what I do now.

GLENN: Abby, for you to do this, first of all, you're an amazing woman of courage. Because for you to do this, it requires you to damn yourself for the things that you were a part of, the things that you turned a blind eye to, and then you've had two abortions yourself.

ABBY: Uh-huh. Yeah, I have.

I -- you know, one of the -- you know, it's really crass to say. But one of the perks of working inside the abortion industry is that you can get free abortions if you find yourself pregnant. And I've had two abortions myself. One surgical abortion and 1RU46 abortion. And actually then got married and got pregnant with my daughter Grace.

And I remember being in the clinic and it was -- it was like a joke with my coworkers. You know, "Oh, Abby is pregnant." You know, I had nausea, typical morning sickness when I was pregnant with Grace. And, you know, every day, you know, if I would get sick at work, they would say, "Oh, you know, we can take care of that." And, you know, just sort of the callousness, you know, about the unborn, and even babies that are wanted. I mean, my baby was wanted. But it was just a big, sick joke in the clinic, you know. And I remember thinking -- when I got past 24 weeks, I thought, "Oh, I'm so glad I'm past 24 weeks because now it's too late for me to have an abortion, and now they'll stop making jokes about it."

GLENN: Did they?

ABBY: They did, for the most part. I mean, at that time, you know -- I mean, there's still -- you know, Dr. Warren Hern, in Boulder, Colorado, he will abort babies up until the date of birth. So, you know, every once in a while they would make a comment like, you know, "Oh, well, you know, it's not too late for Dr. Hern." But, you know, generally the comments sort of died down. And then eventually they had a baby shower for me inside the clinic after a busy abortion day.

GLENN: Unbelievable.

ABBY: So just the irony. It's completely lost on them inside the industry.

GLENN: What made -- just -- I read this line over and over and over again, and I couldn't believe that they call the freezer where they keep the body parts the "nursery." And how women could be this callous and this dark about something is remarkable, is truly remarkable.

Abby, you can find her story and you can find out how you can help her. Because she travels the world now speaking out about this. And she is a very clear voice on it. She runs AbbyJohnson.org. AbbyJohnson.org. But I would invite you to find out how you can help her. How can we help you, Abby? What can we do?

ABBY: Well, I mean -- about three years ago, I started an organization called And Then There Were None. And it is a ministry that reaches out to abortion clinic workers, those who are still in the industry. And, you know, we were -- I mean, we started looking around. I mean I thought, surely, you know, in 40 years of fighting Roe v. Wade, there is an organization out there nationally that is seeking to help abortion clinic workers leave. But there was nothing. There was none. And I knew there had to be workers like me that were in the industry that wanted to leave, but needed help. Needed assurance that somebody was going to help them find a job. That somebody --

GLENN: And is all of that information on your website?

ABBY: Yeah, and people can go to abortionworker.com. And in the past three years, we've had 181 abortion clinic workers leave the industry. And that includes sick abortionists who have permanently put down their instruments and now fight for life.

GLENN: Holy cow.

PAT: That is great. Wow.

GLENN: Abby, I would love to have you in the studio with us and spend an hour with you because I think you're fascinating and I think you're doing God's work, clearly. Find out more information at AbbyJohnson.org. Or is it abortion workers --

ABBY: Worker.com.

GLENN: Great. Thank you very much. Abby Johnson.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The dangerous lie: Rights as government privileges, not God-given

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When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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