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Last updated on February 24th, 2019 at 04:39 am

Trump cut off $286 million in federal family planning services funds to Planned Parenthood in a clear effort to cater to his base before the Mueller report is submitted.

The Trump administration took aim at Planned Parenthood Friday, issuing a rule barring groups that provide abortions or abortion referrals from participating in the $286 million federal family planning program — a move that is expected to redirect millions toward faith-based providers.

Under the long-expected mandate, which opponents vow to challenge in court, federally funded family planning clinics can no longer refer a patient for abortion and will have to maintain a “clear physical and financial separation” between services funded by the government and any organization that provides abortions or referrals for abortions. Recipients of grants under the Title X program, which serves mostly low-income women, were already prohibited from performing abortions with those funds.

Planned Parenthood vows to sue Trump

Planned Parenthood plans to sue Trump, as Dr. Leana Wen, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America laid out their compelling argument, “The gag rule is unconscionable and unethical. This rule compromises the oath that I took to serve patients and help them with making the best decision for their own health. Patients expect their doctors to speak honestly with them, to answer their questions, to help them in their time of need. Imagine if the Trump administration prevented doctors from talking to our patients with diabetes about insulin. It would never happen. Reproductive health care should be no different. Reproductive health care is health care and health care is a basic human right.”

Trump is playing to his base before the Mueller bomb drops

The timing of this announcement is all about Trump and Pence making a move to keep their base with them after the Mueller report drops. Trump and Pence know that the majority of the country is not with them, so they have to pander to the extreme right to have any chance of winning a second term in 2020. This absurd rule has nothing to do with policy. It is all a basic reelection calculation.

Donald Trump is harming millions of women because he thinks that it will help him win a second term.

Robert Mueller is coming and Trump‘s extremist actions are going to keep with on board who were going to vote for him anyway.

The failing president just made a fatally flawed and shortsighted political calculation that will come back to haunt him.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

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Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association

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