Trump Won’t Block Access to the Abortion Pill
The first presidential debate took place last week between Donald Trump and the incumbent Joe Biden and it was full of mixed emotions for the pro-life crowd. The issue of abortion has been at the forefront of American politics for some time now, especially following the repeal of Roe v. Wade in 2022 by the Supreme Court.
Trump, who is the face of modern Republican politics, has overall had a good track record on the abortion issue since he first won the presidency in 2016. His term was marked by multiple states restricting access to abortions under his support and he appointed the prolife Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the SCOTUS. He also has also floated around the idea of defunding Planned Parenthood. However, since the SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Trump has seemingly softened his stance on abortion.
The abortion issue is now seen as a liability to Republicans in the post-Roe world. While Trump has said he is happy he appointed judges that overturned the Roe decision, he has refused to support any type of federal ban (which, to be fair, would not be good for his chances of winning the presidency at the moment) and has also recently referred to “abortion rights.”
Now, most recently at the debate, he said he would not block access to the abortion pill. [1] He did, however, emphasize states’ role in the issue and told the American public to follow their hearts on the issue. He reiterated he is pro-life except when it comes to situations of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.
Recent numbers show the abortion pill makes up to over 60% of recorded abortions in America, so Trump’s unwillingness to take a hard stance on the issue is a tough pill to swallow, no pun intended.
All this comes amid Biden’s attacking of Trump for wanting to take away women’s “reproductive rights.” Trump is clearly trying to avoid some of the more controversial issues while he tries to weave his way back into the presidency, but at what cost? If the face of the Republican party today is using pro-choice terminology like “abortion rights,” it can set a precedent for Republicans in the future to take softer and softer stances on the abortion issue.
I hope Trump is just underplaying his pro-life intentions in order to increase his chances of getting back in office. However, given that Trump was openly pro-choice for most of his life, and the fact that if he does win, he no longer will have to appeal to his more socially conservative base for votes as it will be his second and final term, the future of the pro-life movement in America is worrying.
References
[1] Riley Beggin. “Trump Says He Won't Block Abortion Pill During Presidential Debate.” USA Today, 2024. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/06/27/trump-abortion-pill-presidential-debate/74237851007/
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