Outcry over YouTuber's Down syndrome abortion proves Americans are 'repulsed by eugenics,' activist says
Public outrage over a YouTube star and his wife's decision to abort their unborn son after a Down syndrome diagnosis shows Americans reject the notion that a disability makes a life less worthy of protection, Live Action founder Lila Rose argued Sunday.
"I think America still has a conscience because we know instinctually that this is a baby," Rose told "Fox & Friends Weekend."
"Within weeks, [he] could have been old enough to survive outside the womb, and he was subject to an extremely excruciating second-trimester abortion because he was deemed not good enough."
The controversy comes after YouTuber Jesse Ridgway and his wife announced the diagnosis and their decision in a post on X last Wednesday, saying they wrestled with the choice after doctors informed them their baby was likely to be born with the genetic condition.
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"This week, my wife and I made the very difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy due to Trisomy 21," Ridgway wrote.
"The choice was not made lightly. We really appreciate all of the personal stories that you guys shared with us, especially the unconditional support we received from fans with no matter what we decided."
News of the decision went viral, garnering outrage from many, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson and Mollie Hemingway, editor-in-chief of The Federalist.
Rose, whose organization Live Action opposes abortion and advocates for unborn children, argued the backlash is evidence Americans are "repulsed by eugenics," telling host Rachel Campos-Duffy that such decisions "[target] innocent human life" that has been deemed "not... good enough."
"That's exactly what this YouTuber very publicly did, and the outcry was huge," she said.
Fox News Digital previously reached out to Ridgway for additional comment and did not receive a response.
Fox News' Rachel del Guidice contributed to this report.