- Rep. Kat Cammack's offices were evacuated due to threats against her family and unborn child.
- These threats are in response to The Wall Street Journal's article about her ectopic pregnancy.
- Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, expressed her support for Cammack on social media.
On Wednesday night, Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla, reported that her offices had to be evacuated due to death threats against her, her unborn child, her family and staff. The threats came after the publication of a Wall Street Journal article detailing her experience with an ectopic pregnancy.
“These threats erupted after the Wall Street Journal reported on my life-threatening ectopic pregnancy — a nonviable pregnancy with no heartbeat," the congresswoman wrote in a post on X.
“Since then, we’ve received thousands of hate-filled messages and dozens of credible threats from pro-abortion activists, which law enforcement is actively investigating. In light of recent violence against elected officials, these threats are taken very seriously,” she added.
Cammack experienced an ectopic pregnancy last year and is currently pregnant with a girl due in August, reported The Wall Street Journal.
In the X post, Cammack also included screenshots of threats she has received on social media.
Cammack also clarified that she did not vote for Florida’s abortion law, because she serves in the U.S. House of Representatives, not the Florida Legislature.
“Let me be clear: I will not be intimidated. I won’t back down in the fight for women and families. Ensuring women have the resources and care they deserve is critical. We need real conversations about maternal healthcare in America — conversations based on truth, not fear," she wrote.
On Thursday, Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, took to social media in support of Cammack, saying she is grateful for Cammack’s “courage” in sharing her story.
“Disagreement is part of governing, but threats and violence against families are never acceptable,” Maloy wrote on X. “We can have tough conversations about difficult issues without resorting to intimidation. That’s not who we are as Americans, and it’s not how we solve problems.”
The Wall Street Journal story that sparked threats
On Sunday, The Wall Street Journal published a story sharing Cammack’s experience with an ectopic pregnancy last year.
She was in the emergency room in May 2024, “terrified,” because she had just learned that her pregnancy could kill her at any moment, according to The Wall Street Journal.
In order to expel the ectopic pregnancy, the congresswoman needed a shot of methotrexate. In an ectopic pregnancy, the embryo becomes implanted in the wrong place, and there is no way for the embryo to survive.
“Her state’s six-week abortion ban had just taken effect. She said doctors and nurses who saw her said they were worried about losing their licenses or going to jail if they gave her drugs to end her pregnancy,” per The Wall Street Journal.
As staff resisted, Cammack argued her case. Earlier that day, she had been measured at five weeks pregnant, there was no heartbeat and her life was at risk. Eventually, the doctors agreed to give her the methotrexate.
The law took effect in Florida on May 1, 2024, making abortions illegal after six weeks with limited exceptions.
“While Cammack opposes abortion and co-chairs the House Pro-Life Caucus, she supports exceptions for reported cases of rape and incest in the first trimester and in instances in which the mother’s life is at risk,” per The Wall Street Journal.
Throughout the article, Cammack shares that she believes it was so difficult for her to get the treatment she needed because of fearmongering from the left.
“Cammack doesn’t fault the Florida law for her experience. Instead, she accuses the left of scaring medical professionals with messaging that stressed that they could face criminal charges for violating the law. She said she feels those efforts gave medical staff reason to fear giving drugs even under legal circumstances,” per The Wall Street Journal.
Abortion-rights advocates blame the law for creating the problems. According to The Wall Street Journal, regulators in Florida say ectopic pregnancies aren’t abortion and don’t fall under the restriction, but the wording of the law may make doctors hesitant.
With her current pregnancy, Cammack is on track to become the 14th congresswoman to give birth while in office.
Recent threats to lawmakers
These threats to Cammack come after a state lawmaker in Minnesota was shot to death and another was seriously injured. Also recently, Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, was reportedly run off the road.
The threats against Cammack were reported to U.S. Capitol Police, which has a “zero-tolerance policy for threats against the Members of Congress,” according to a statement given to CBS News.
“Our Tampa field office, which was set up to quickly respond to threats in the region, immediately started coordinating with local and federal agencies in the area,” the statement continued. “For safety reasons, we cannot discuss the specifics about our investigations.”
The Capitol Police reported that it investigated 9,474 “concerning statements and direct threats” against lawmakers, their staff and families last year, per CBS.