Antiabortion Violence in America: A Ms. Investigation

Ms.’ four-part investigation into antiabortion violence reveals how political extremism, radicalized religion and weakened federal protections have created a climate of unprecedented danger for abortion providers, patients and public officials.

The series begins with the murder of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, tracing the long history of threats and harassment that set the stage for the attack. It then exposes how antiabortion extremists—from lone actors to organized networks like the Army of God—have targeted clinics and lawmakers, fueled by conspiracy theories, online radicalization and escalating rhetoric in the Trump era.

Through in-depth reporting, Ms. uncovers the role of religious movements such as the New Apostolic Reformation in shaping extremist ideologies, while also centering the resilience of those on the frontlines of reproductive healthcare.

Abortion providers, advocates and allies are fighting back with fortified security, state-level legal strategies, and an unshakable sense of purpose—even as federal protections erode and threats intensify.

Together, these stories lay bare the violent costs of the antiabortion movement and highlight the urgent need to safeguard both reproductive freedom and democratic institutions.

‘We Can Do Hard Things’: Abortion Providers Fight Back Against Rising Violence

PUBLISHED 9/19/2025 by

Across the country, abortion providers are installing new security systems, building relationships with local law enforcement, and pushing states to pass their own protections in the absence of federal enforcement. “We really want states to use every tool available to them to pass laws to protect providers and patient communities, and they’re not yet,” says duVergne Gaines of the Feminist Majority Foundation’s National Clinic Access Project.

Still, advocates refuse to back down. For many, providing abortion is more than a profession—it’s a calling. As Ruth Richardson, who herself was named on the Minnesota assassin’s target list, put it: “We can do hard things. We’ve had to do hard things. This isn’t new.”

‘Dad Went to War’: The Radical Faith Behind the Minnesota Assassinations

PUBLISHED 9/18/2025 by

When Minnesota police arrested 57-year-old Vance Boelter after a two-day manhunt, they uncovered notebooks filled with names and addresses of elected officials and abortion providers. The suspect, who authorities say stockpiled 48 firearms, had already gunned down two people and left others gravely wounded. His writings and sermons hint at extremist religious currents, including ties to the New Apostolic Reformation.

“Their vision is violent at the outset,” says Frederick Clarkson, a longtime researcher of Christian extremism.

Advocates warn that rhetoric casting abortion as a holy war is not fringe—it is increasingly mainstream within the movement, fueling both deadly plots and everyday harassment of patients and providers.

The Long Shadow of Dr. George Tiller: Abortion Providers Under Attack

PUBLISHED 9/17/2025 by

Julie Burkhart has spent decades on the frontlines of abortion care—from witnessing the “Summer of Mercy” blockades in Wichita to reopening a clinic after her mentor, Dr. George Tiller, was assassinated in 2009. In 2022, before she could open a new clinic in Wyoming, an arsonist burned it down. “It’s definitely more of an unsettling time,” Burkhart told Ms.

The threats extend beyond firebombs. In Pennsylvania this summer, antiabortion activists staged a Red Rose Rescue invasion, disrupting care with fake IDs, “holy water,” and “tickets to heaven.” Several participants had been pardoned by Trump months earlier. Advocates say such incidents show a growing pattern: emboldened extremists traveling across state lines to terrorize clinics.

Murder, Pardons and Impunity: How Antiabortion Violence Escalated Under Trump

PUBLISHED 9/16/2025 by

Her friend Melissa Hortman, a longtime Minnesota lawmaker, was murdered at home in June—shot by a man posing as a police officer who had also wounded two others and left behind a hit list of dozens of abortion-rights supporters. Among the names was Ruth Richardson, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States. “It was one thing to get a threat; it’s another to have confirmed threats where you have a friend and colleague who is assassinated,” she told Ms.

This tragedy unfolded against a backdrop of federal retreat: Trump pardoned extremists convicted of clinic blockades and violence, and his Justice Department declared it would largely stop enforcing the FACE Act, the law meant to protect providers. Advocates warn these decisions have emboldened extremists, leaving abortion providers more vulnerable than at any time in decades.