A couple things are clear. It is clear that there has been an uptick in threats and violence against abortion clinics and providers since the videos were released, including multiple arsons at Planned Parenthood locations along with cyber-attacks. It is also clear that Republican candidates like Carly Fiorina and Ted Cruz have been on the frontline of this hate machine. Indeed, Fiorina blatantly lied in front of the over 20 million people who were watching the second Republican debate when she described a video associated with Planned Parenthood of a “fully formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking while someone says, ‘We have to keep it alive to harvest its brain.’” Of course, this is not a real clip. There is footage that was not associated with Planned Parenthood, which medical experts believe could have just as likely been a miscarriage, and it did not show a fully formed fetus, but a 17-week fetus, too young to be resuscitated. Furthermore, the voiceover was misleadingly edited over the video by an anti-abortion extremist. For his part, Senator Cruz attempted to defund Planned Parenthood in his usual disruptive style, by holding the government hostage, and said absurdities like: “We are now a nation that harvests the body parts of baby boys and girls.” (Did he really think such a comment would not lead to violence?)