North Carolina

North Carolina’s Party-Switching Abortion Traitor Now Says She Didn’t Have an Abortion

Published

2 years ago

June 15, 2023

North Carolina’s Party-Switching Abortion Traitor Now Says She Didn’t Have an Abortion

North Carolina State Rep. Tricia Cotham (R)—the former pro-choice advocate who recently switched parties and gave the GOP a veto-proof majority to jam through a 12-week abortion ban, betraying her constituents—is continuing her gaslighting tour. She’s now claiming that she never had an abortion, despite having delivered passionate abortion-rights speeches and talking about her own personal experience during her campaign. It was simply a miscarriage, “not an elective abortion,” the now-Republican lawmaker says.

Republicans Pull Out All the Stupid Stops While Debating Abortion

Cotham said in an interview with WBT radio during the state’s Republican Party convention that the “hardest” thing about voting for the abortion ban is people pointing out that she had an abortion herself.

“I think the hardest thing and the most unfortunate—deeply personal—and this is deeply wrong…I had a miscarriage, and a miscarriage in medical terms is called a spontaneous abortion,” she said. “And so instead of saying—first of all, they should not even be talking about my miscarriage, that is just very painful and wrong—but they’re repeating this message that I had an abortion, and that is false. And that has been completely frustrating and they keep on doing it and that’s below the belt.” (At the start of the interview, she hypes up her work on charter schools said she spoke with both former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and she seemed thrilled about it.)

The comments begin at the 7-minute mark:

Back in 2015, when Cotham spoke on the House floor about her medically necessary abortion for an ectopic pregnancy, she used very different language. Cotham said it was an “induced, physician-assisted miscarriage”—which is an abortion. (She also mentions “chemotherapy,” which suggests she was given the cancer drug methotrexate, to end the pregnancy.)

Cotham appears to want to use medical jargon (“spontaneous abortion”) to suggest that people may be confused about how her pregnancy ended, but an induced miscarriage is definitely not spontaneous. And she’s erasing the crucial context in which she gave the speech—sharing her story to oppose a 72-hour waiting period for abortions. She said at the time “Abortion is a deeply personal decision. It should not be a political debate. My womb and my uterus is not up for your political grab.”

Here’s a clip from that speech:

Cotham was even featured in a June 2015 Time story on lawmakers talking about their abortions. “[Cotham] said she went home and wrote out her speech describing the induced physician-assisted abortion of her non-viable fetus. ‘I knew that I was not going to change the minds of those who were going to vote yes. And it wasn’t about them,’ she said. Instead, she said, she spoke so ‘somebody out there could feel maybe not feel shamed.’” She doesn’t insist in that story that it was a miscarriage, not an abortion.

During her 2022 campaign, Cotham even submitted a Planned Parenthood questionnaire in which she wrote that “abortion is a medical procedure. It should be safe, legal, and accessible to all women. I will oppose any legislation that seeks to restrict abortion access.” In January of this year, she co-sponsored a bill to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade into state law.

But flash forward to her changing parties this year, and she’s singing a different tune. After her vote to override the Democratic governor’s veto of the abortion ban, Cotham said in a statement that her miscarriage was different, because it wasn’t “an elective abortion.” Cotham said, “Some call me a hypocrite since I voted for this bill. They presume to know my story. As I said at the time, I had an ectopic pregnancy that sadly ended in miscarriage, not an elective abortion. In fact, Senate Bill 20 affirms the life-saving care I received in that dire situation.”

Ma’am, a little over one year ago you said you supported every person’s right to abortion. We’re not falling for this.

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North Carolina

Jerod Mayo Addresses Theory After Bill Belichick Joins North Carolina

Published

7 hours ago

December 16, 2024

Press Room

Jerod Mayo Addresses Theory After Bill Belichick Joins North Carolina

Many suspect the Patriots coaching staff will look different next season.

For starters, Jerod Mayo and all of his assistants should be evaluated after yet another unsuccessful campaign in New England. Additionally, as is the case every offseason, there’s a possibility Patriots coaches leave Foxboro, Mass., for new opportunities.

One coach to watch might be Brian Belichick, whose legendary father, Bill Belichick, recently became the head football coach at North Carolina. But when Mayo met with the media Monday, the Patriots head coach claimed the possibility of Belichick leaving New England for Chapel Hill “hasn’t come up at all” in conversations with his safeties coach, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed.

Last Thursday, Brian Belichick was asked directly if he would leave the Patriots to reunite with the eight-time Super Bowl champion. A New England staffer since 2017, the younger Belichick stiff-armed the question and stressed his focus was on the Patriots’ Week 15 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.

There’s reason to believe Brian Belichick will be back with New England in 2025. Unlike his brother, Steve, Brian Belichick decided to keep his job with the Patriots after Bill Belichick was fired last January. That said, Brian Belichick might be inclined to seek a fresh start following a string of brutal seasons for the Patriots.

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As for Brian’s brother, Steve is expected to leave Washington after one season as the Huskies’ defensive coordinator to join the Tar Heels staff.

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North Carolina

North Carolina governor honors Hurricanes' Rod Brind'Amour

Published

15 hours ago

December 16, 2024

Press Room

North Carolina governor honors Hurricanes' Rod Brind'Amour

RALEIGH, N.C. — Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour was presented with the state’s highest honor by Gov. Roy Cooper after Sunday’s 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Brind’Amour received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, which is given to people who have made significant contributions to the state and their community.

“I went into the locker room after the game and told the players that this guy wouldn’t want me to do what I was about to do because this guy is all about his players and all about team,” Cooper said.

Cooper was in the Hurricanes’ locker room prior to the game to read the starting lineup before returning amid the postgame celebration. The 67-year-old Cooper has long been a supporter of the Hurricanes and frequently attends home games.

“What he has meant to North Carolina is extraordinary, both as a player, as a coach, as a parent, involvement in youth hockey,” Cooper said. “When you think about all of the jobs the Carolina Hurricanes have brought to North Carolina and their success. … This guy has created a culture of winning.”

Brind’Amour is in his seventh season as Carolina’s coach. He also played for 10 years in Carolina, serving as captain of the franchise’s only Stanley Cup championship team in 2006.

“It’s not about me,” Brind’Amour said. “We’ve got such a good group. I was a part of a group of great people all along.”

Cooper has previously presented the Order of the Long Leaf Pine to retired Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski. Cooper said he’ll present the honor to former North Carolina men’s basketball coach Roy Williams next week.

Cooper, a Democrat, is finishing his second four-year term as governor. He was prevented from seeking reelection because of term limits.

Cooper had a suggestion for Brind’Amour, saying “Coach, it’s time to get that Stanley Cup this time.”

Carolina’s one Stanley Cup title was won with Peter Laviolette behind the bench.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Bill Belichick's former players speak out after coach's shocking decision to take North Carolina job

Published

22 hours ago

December 15, 2024

Press Room

Bill Belichick's former players speak out after coach's shocking decision to take North Carolina job

Bill Belichick’s decision to take the North Carolina Tar Heels job came as a shock to many around the professional and college football world.

Belichick, at 72 and one of the most highly respected former NFL head coaches, has never coached at the collegiate level. He was an assistant with the Baltimore Colts in 1975 before eventually winning several Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and New York Giants.

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Tedy Bruschi (AP Photo/Matt Slocum/File)

The decision to go to college at this juncture of his life and career left one of his former players, linebacker Tedy Bruschi, quizzical.

“What are we doing here? I mean, with Bill Belichick going to coach North Carolina. I mean, college football — there’s only one bowl game I want to see Bill Belichick coaching and that’s the Super Bowl, OK?” he said on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown.” “I don’t want to see him coaching some Lawnmower Bowl in December or January. That’s just not who I am.”

“I don’t know how there wouldn’t be any interest as to where you bring a Belichick in, and he makes you immediately relevant and well-coached by who he is,” Bruschi continued. “Would he make one of these teams that needed a head coach this year an immediate contender? I mean, yes, he would. He is that good. Now, he’s not going to be on the level of six championships New England Patriots or anything like that, but your team would be competent from the get-go; and then it’s on your players.

“I can’t believe Bill Belichick won’t be in the NFL next year. … I don’t know how this happened.”

New North Carolina head football coach Bill Belichick speaks to the crowd at the Dean Smith Center during halftime of an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Dec. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

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New North Carolina head football coach Bill Belichick walks on the court of the Dean Smith Center during halftime of an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Dec. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

Belichick officially agreed to take the job last week despite checking in to see if there was interest from the New York Jets’ side about possibly coaching them, despite historical drama surrounding both parties.

Julian Edelman weighed in on the move and offered a sunnier taker.

“It’s the most surprising thing in the history of anything to me that the greatest NFL football coach is not going to be in the NFL,” the former wide receiver said on “FOX NFL Kickoff.” “The more I think about it, the more it makes sense.”

“A, projecting players: I was a quarterback in college, played receiver [in the NFL]. Tom Brady was a sixth-round draft pick, became the greatest quarterback of all time. Rob Gronkowski was a second-round pick, became the greatest tight end of all time. He knows how to project players.

“B, nostalgia: Bill’s dad coached at North Carolina … he loves anything his dad was a part of, so that makes sense. And then, three, [seeing] the ‘Hoodie’ in a [Michael] Jordan Tar Heel powder blue.”

Belichick is set to replace Mack Brown as head coach. The Tar Heels are 6-6 this year and play UConn in the Fenway Bowl. Freddie Kitchens will coach the team for the game.