Yamiche Alcindor: Overturning Roe Would Result in Pregnancies that Will ‘Turn Into Children’

In a Tuesday appearance on MSNBC, Yamiche Alcindor expressed concern that “vulnerable women” will be “forced to have pregnancies that they cannot afford to terminate” if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, as a draft opinion obtained and published by Politico on Monday evening indicates it might.

Overturning Roe, the 1973 ruling that made it difficult to regulate abortion in any meaninful way, would return the question of abortion to the states.

The drafted majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, reads: “The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion. Roe and Casey arrogated that authority. We now overrule those decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives.”

Alcindor, who is a Washington correspondent for NBC News and the anchor of Washington Week on PBS, was apparently concerned that a post Roe environment could see women forced to carry out pregnancies “that will then turn into children.”

Alcindor disputed claims that Americans will still retain access to abortion, because they will be able to fly to one of 13 “safe states” such as California or New York.

Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the authenticity of the draft majority opinion on Tuesday morning. 

“Although the document described in yesterday’s reports is authentic, it does not represent a decision by the Court, or the final position of any member on the issues in the case,” Roberts wrote in a statement.

Roberts added that “to the extent this betrayal of the confidences of the Court was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed. The work of the Court will not be affected in any way.”  The chief justice said that he has “directed the Marshal of the Court to launch an investigation into the source of the leak.”