Trump signals openness to banning abortion pill
NBCAug 18
The Facts
OVERVIEW: Abortion has long been a deeply political issue in the US and is a major topic in the 2024 election. While often framed in "pro-life" and "pro-choice" terms, laws and opinions really fall on a spectrum. Abortion is banned in 14 of 50 states, all of which make an exception to save a pregnant woman's life. Twenty-six states allow abortion until a specific point of pregnancy, 10 require an individual to wait a period of time before an abortion, and 22 require parental involvement for minors.
COURT CASES: The right to an abortion was nationally protected for 49 years after the 1973 Supreme Court (SCOTUS) case, Roe v. Wade, which was overturned in the June 2022 case, Dobbs v. Jackson. The Court’s majority opinion in Dobbs wrote that since abortion wasn't mentioned in the Constitution, "implicit in the concept of ordered liberty," or "deeply rooted" in America’s history and tradition, individual states should be left to make their own laws.
The Spin
Republican narrative
Harris's fear-mongering about nationwide abortion and IVF bans under a Trump presidency aims to divert attention from her own party's extreme abortion policies. While Trump and the GOP assert that abortion laws should be decided at the state level, Harris and the Democrats push for unrestricted abortions nationwide with minimal limitations. Under Trump, the current middle ground between pro-life and pro-abortion beliefs will be protected.
Democratic narrative
Trump is attempting to gaslight America into believing he holds a moderate stance on abortion. But the GOP's platform, in classic Trumpian style, is intentionally vague about its attempt to trojan horse an archaic agenda into the US — including a potential ban on mifepristone. With many of Trump's key allies, including his own vice presidential nominee, holding strong anti-abortion views, the GOP can't hide its true colors.
Conservative narrative
Sadly, the GOP led by Trump is turning its back on the pro-life movement. While the 14th Amendment’s protection of the right to life, and its extension to the unborn, is well-established, the new GOP platform only vaguely references it, omitting any clear mention of unborn rights present in previous elections. The party's stance against late-term abortion is also notably watered down, and Trump has been evasive on whether he would sign a federal abortion ban.