Andrew Ireland, a political commentator, posted a series of tweets on May 14 and 15, 2026, criticizing the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Indiana’s open primary system.
On May 14, Ireland wrote, “The ACLU is so captured by radical leftists that they can’t even say ‘pregnant women,’ instead it’s ‘pregnant people.’ Glad to see the Indiana Supreme Court hand them another loss today.”
The following day, he commented on the state’s election process: “Indiana’s open primary system lets Democrats meddle in Republican primaries to prop up weak establishment candidates. They tried in my race last cycle. They lost. It’s time to close the loophole. Only Republicans should choose Republican nominees.”
Later on May 15, Ireland addressed responses to his previous remarks about the ACLU: “For all the triggered ACLU stans in the comments, they used the term ‘pregnant people’ because they believe men can get pregnant. Don’t take my word for it:”
The debate over language such as “pregnant people” versus “pregnant women” has become prominent in discussions about gender identity and reproductive rights. The ACLU and other organizations have adopted more inclusive terminology to reflect recognition of transgender and nonbinary individuals who may become pregnant.
Indiana operates an open primary system, which allows voters regardless of party affiliation to participate in any party’s primary election. Critics argue this enables crossover voting that could influence candidate selection by parties other than those voters belong to.
