The Sage Steele Show—Episode 95

Kristan Hawkins: Planned Parenthood's Secret History Exposed

Release Date: March 4, 2026
Host: Sage Steele
Guest: Kristan Hawkins, President of Students for Life

Episode Overview

This episode of The Sage Steele Show features a deep, provocative conversation with Kristan Hawkins, President of Students for Life and outspoken anti-abortion activist. The discussion dives into Hawkins’ fearless approach to engaging with pro-choice advocates, the foundation and evolution of Planned Parenthood, the emotional and social complexities at the heart of the abortion debate, and her personal journey as a mother and movement leader. The episode tackles controversial topics with directness, highlighting Hawkins’ strategies, philosophy, memorable public moments, and encounters with both public support and backlash.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kristan’s Debate Approach & Activism [03:18–07:13]

• Fearless Engagement: Hawkins describes her ability to make people define and defend their positions on abortion, often exposing logical inconsistencies.
  • Quote: “I’m just really good at making people actually say what it is that’s going on in their mind when they’re defending abortion. And that’s what changes minds.” – Kristan, [03:18]
• Conflict as Catalyst: She insists that real change only occurs at the point of conflict, drawing parallels with the Civil Rights Movement.
  • Quote: “Change only ever happens at the point of conflict. ... You have to produce the conflict.” – Kristan, [05:17]
• Understanding Both Sides: Hawkins stresses the importance of knowing the opposing arguments intimately to communicate effectively.

2. Building Resilience & Students for Life’s Growth [08:45–12:24]

• Faith & Grit: Hawkins credits her resilience and mission focus to her faith and acceptance of being disliked.
  • Quote: “That’s God, right? That’s the Holy Spirit. ... God gave me…grittiness and perseverance to overcome being disliked.” – Kristan, [08:52]
• Movement Reach: Students for Life now boasts over 1,600 chapters nationwide, actively training activists.
  • Quote: “Over 1600 chapters across the country, high school, college campuses, med and law schools. ... 250,000th student.” – Kristan, [11:17]

3. Viral Moments & Real Impact [14:48–20:05]

• Transforming Lives: Hawkins shares stories of Planned Parenthood workers and young women changing their minds after seeing her videos.
  • Notable anecdote: A homeless college student decided against abortion after binge-watching Hawkins’ videos and later named her child “Mercer.”
• Unexpected Ripple Effects: A viral campus encounter with an angry protester (“Darby”) led to numerous minds being changed and children being born.
  • Quote: “That girl, I should have paid for her college because she has made more pro lifers ... all from that one video. ... Baby Mercer is here because Darby was so mad at me.” – Kristan, [19:00]

4. Campus Life, Security, and Protest Patterns [20:21–22:53]

• Campus Security: Increased need for security at certain events due to threats and violence, especially after the assassination of Charlie (last name not provided).
• Unpredictability: The intensity of opposition varies widely from campus to campus.
• Violence Patterns: Trans women and post-abortive older women (50+) are the groups she finds most volatile during campus events.
  • Quote: “The two most unhinged people on campuses ... are trans women, men and older women, 50 plus. ... They’re the most violent.” – Kristan, [23:15]

5. Complexities Behind Vitriol and Healing [22:26–34:48]

• Sympathy for Protesters: Hawkins discusses the pain and unresolved trauma behind some of her most vehement opponents.
  • Story: A pro-choice married graduate student who had an abortion because she wanted her family line to end, unable to articulate if she herself had value.
• Ministry of Healing: Importance of forgiveness, healing support, and practical help for post-abortive women.
  • Quote: “There is forgiveness for everyone. ... Most the women I know who lead pregnancy centers ... are also post-abortive.” – Kristan, [34:48]

6. Faith & The Pro-Life/Pro-Choice Divide [37:17–39:52]

• Incompatibility of Pro-Choice & Christian Identity: Hawkins forcefully rejects the idea that one can be a “pro-choice Christian.”
  • Quote: “Abortion is the intentional destruction of an innocent human life that was created in God’s image.” – Kristan, [37:36]
  • Distills pro-choice/pro-abortion language and its moral implications.
• Dealing with Complicated Cases: She challenges the notion that exceptions for rape/incest can be reconciled within a truly pro-life stance.
  • Quote: “...your value doesn’t change based on the sins of your parents.” – Kristan, [43:50]

7. Critique of “Abortion as Healthcare” Narrative [45:41–46:51]

• Linguistic Manipulation: Hawkins critiques the shift in abortion discourse, including the use of “health care” as a euphemism.
  • Quote: “If your health care kills people intentionally, then you’re doing it wrong.” – Kristan, [46:51]
• Hippocratic Oath and Medical Ethics: Many doctors no longer swear to "do no harm," in part because of legalized euthanasia and abortion.

8. Planned Parenthood’s Eugenic Roots and Its Modern Role [55:39–63:42]

• Margaret Sanger’s Legacy: Hawkins details Planned Parenthood’s origins in eugenics, its strategic targeting of minorities, and modern efforts to erase this history.
  • Quote: “She was a eugenicist ... believed people, certain stocks and breeds should not have the right to reproduce.” – Kristan, [57:22]
• Targeting Communities: More black babies aborted in NYC than born for over a decade.
  • Quote: “More black babies aborted than actually being born.” – Kristan, [56:52]
• Backlash to Transparency: Even Planned Parenthood’s current leadership (now led by a black woman—Alexis Johnson) is accused of ignoring or whitewashing the organization’s racist past.

9. IVF, Eugenics, and the Ethics of Modern Reproductive Medicine [76:00–81:41]

• Personal Story: Both Hawkins’ first and fourth children have cystic fibrosis (CF). Doctors recommended IVF with genetic selection, which Hawkins refused on ethical grounds.
• Eugenics in Practice: Modern IVF practices sometimes involve discarding embryos based on genetic traits, a modern echo of eugenics.

10. Parenting, Homeschooling, and Faith [74:05–76:23]

• Special Needs Parenting: Hawkins describes her unexpected homeschooling journey after her son’s CF diagnosis and how that shaped her family.
  • Quote: “The goal was we got to get him to college. We want him to live to be older than college age.” – Kristan, [74:35]
• Parenting Philosophy: Early, honest conversations about sex, abortion, and the unconditional love parents must communicate to help children avoid trauma and shame.

11. Movement Backlash and Internal Battles [91:22–96:46]

• Criticism from the Right: Hawkins is often attacked not just by pro-choice forces, but by fringe groups within her own movement, particularly male-led factions that resist female leadership.
  • Quote: “There’s a lot of women in the pro life movement. That’s a good thing. ... It was seven men at the Supreme Court who made Roe vs Wade.” – Kristan, [92:00]
• Misuse of Christian Scripture: She speaks out against the weaponization of biblical verses to justify punitive, exclusionary approaches.

12. Personal Reflections & Pride [96:46–98:03]

• Biggest Accomplishment: Her family, above all.
  • Quote: “There’s nothing greater you can do as a human being than to bring ... four amazing human beings [into the world].” – Kristan, [96:50]
• Mission as Calling: Regardless of public perception, criticism, or praise, Hawkins centers her identity on service to her family and to the unborn.

Notable Quotes & Moments

“My talent is getting people to say what their position is and exposing them.”
— Kristan Hawkins, [03:18]

“If your health care kills people intentionally, then you’re doing it wrong.”
— Kristan Hawkins, [46:51]

“More black babies [are] aborted than actually being born [in NYC], and that's been happening for probably well over a decade.”
— Kristan Hawkins, [56:52]

“I just took care of matters on my own, Sage. I’m perfectly capable of that.”
— Kristan Hawkins (on family planning), [77:37]

“There’s nothing greater you can do ... than to bring into this world four amazing human beings.”
— Kristan Hawkins, [96:50]

Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• [03:18] — Kristan’s debate approach and “exposing” opponents’ real positions
• [08:45] — On fearlessness, faith, and resilience
• [11:17] — Students for Life’s scale and reach
• [14:48] — Testimonies from changed hearts and lives saved
• [19:00] — The viral “Darby” incident and its ripple effects
• [23:15] — Campus violence: demographic patterns and root causes
• [28:29-29:37] — A powerful conversation with a post-abortive student
• [34:48] — Forgiveness, healing, and support for women who regret abortion
• [37:17] — On the impossibility of “pro-choice Christianity”
• [43:50] — On exceptions for rape: “your value doesn’t change based on the sins of your parents”
• [46:51] — Medical ethics, the Hippocratic Oath, and “abortion as healthcare”
• [56:52] — Long-term trend: More black babies aborted than born in NYC
• [64:22] — Planned Parenthood’s leadership and ignoring its racial/eugenic legacy
• [74:05] — Homeschooling amid medical needs, parenting philosophy
• [76:00] — Confronting eugenics in modern IVF and genetic screening
• [91:22] — Internal backlash, gender battles, and misapplied scripture
• [96:50] — Proud reflections on her family as her greatest achievement

Tone & Style

The discussion is direct, frank, personal, and sometimes combative but tempered with empathy, spiritual conviction, and an ongoing call to love and forgiveness.

In Summary

This episode is a vivid inside look at the front lines of the abortion debate in America, led by Kristan Hawkins’ bold activism. The wide-ranging interview covers historical context, personal testimony, “culture war” flashpoints, philosophical clarity, and the personal sacrifices and joys of rising to a controversial calling. Hawkins’ unique fusion of empathy, aggression, and strategic clarity shines, making this a must-listen (or read) for anyone interested in the current landscape of America’s abortion and pro-life conversations.