Donald Trump Put Access to Medication Abortion at Risk for Women Across America
March 26, 2024
Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on a case that could restrict access to medication abortion and rip away women’s reproductive freedoms, DNC spokesperson Aida Ross released the following statement:
“Today, the Supreme Court will hear a case that could rip away access to safe, effective medication abortion from women all across the country — as Trump’s MAGA allies are already pushing an unpopular and extreme anti-choice playbook that could go even further. Trump has made it clear that if given the chance, he’ll do everything he can to ban abortion nationwide and strip millions of Americans of their basic rights. Reproductive freedom is on the ballot in this election, and voters are ready to send a clear signal rejecting Trump’s extreme anti-choice agenda this November.”
Trump brags about appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, which paved the way for MAGA Republicans to threaten access to medication abortion.
CNBC: “Former President Donald Trump called Friday’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade ‘the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation’ — and gave himself credit for the outcome in the controversial decision to undo federal abortion rights.”
“Trump, in a statement, said Friday’s ruling and other recent court decisions ‘were only made possible because I delivered everything as promised, including nominating and getting three highly respected and strong Constitutionalists confirmed to the United States Supreme Court.’”
Rolling Stone: “Trump Says He’s ‘Proud’ to Have ‘Terminated’ Abortion Rights”
Trump: “I’m the one that got rid of Roe v. Wade, and everybody said that was an impossible thing to do. I put on three Supreme Court justices. Very few people have had that privilege or honor.”
NBC News: “In an unprecedented move, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk on Friday suspended the Food and Drug Administration’s longtime approval of key abortion pill mifepristone.”
CNBC: “Kacsmaryk, appointed to the federal bench by former President Donald Trump in 2019, previously worked for the Christian conservative legal group First Liberty Institute and has espoused socially conservative views on LGBTQ rights and abortion.”
NPR: “A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that mifepristone, one of two pills used in medication abortions, should not be prescribed past seven weeks of pregnancy or via telemedicine. … A three judge panel of the 5th Circuit heard arguments in the case in May. All three judges were appointed by Republicans. Two are Trump appointees, one was appointed by George W. Bush.”
Business Insider: “Trump boasts he’s ‘proud’ about his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, the issue that has become ballot-box poison for Republicans”
As president, Trump appealed a pandemic-era court order that allowed women to take mifepristone without visiting a doctor in person and tried to bar federally funded clinics from referring patients to abortion providers.
CNBC: “Trump administration asks Supreme Court to reinstate abortion pill restrictions judge has suspended due to coronavirus”
19th News: “The [Trump] administration is currently arguing that the Supreme Court undo a lower court order that allowed people in the pandemic to take mifepristone — a drug used as part of medication abortions — from home, without visiting a doctor in person. Appealing such a ruling straight to the Supreme Court and bypassing the appeals process was uncommon prior to Trump’s presidency, but has become a frequent strategy for the administration.”
NPR: “Supreme Court OKs White House Request To Limit Abortion Pill Access During Pandemic”
Kaiser Family Foundation: “On March 4, 2019, the Trump Administration published new final regulations that restores Reagan-era restrictions regarding abortion and Title X. The primary goal of these regulations is to block the availability of federal funds to family planning providers, such as Planned Parenthood, that also offer abortion services with non-Title X funds and to prohibit sites that receive Title X funds from referring pregnant patients to other providers for abortion services.”
If given the chance, Trump and his MAGA allies would ban abortion nationwide — including medication abortion — and shut down clinics.
Rolling Stone: “Trump Wants to Ban Abortion Nationwide: Report”
Trump: “There of course remains a vital role for the federal government in protecting unborn life. And it’s very important.”
Trump on if he would sign a six-week national abortion ban: “I’m looking at all [options].”
Project 2025: “FDA should… Reverse its approval of chemical abortion drugs because the politicized approval process was illegal from the start… Now that the Supreme Court has acknowledged that the Constitution contains no right to an abortion, the FDA is ethically and legally obliged to revisit and withdraw its initial approval, which was premised on pregnancy being an ‘illness’ and abortion being ‘therapeutically’ effective at treating this ‘illness.’ The FDA is statutorily charged with guaranteeing the safety and efficacy of drugs and therefore should withdraw this drug that is proven to be dangerous to women and by definition fatally unsafe for unborn children.”
Axios: “The Heritage Foundation, which has proposed detailed policies for a potential GOP administration, argues that Comstock ‘unambiguously prohibits mailing abortion drugs’ and says the next administration should ‘enforce federal law against providers and distributors of [abortion] pills.’”
The Atlantic: “Their next goal will be ending legal abortion in America once and for all… Their ultimate aim in reviving the Comstock Act is to use it to shut down every abortion facility “in all 50 states…”
Trump has also made clear that if reelected, he’d stack the Supreme Court with ultra-MAGA judicial extremists who will do his bidding, further putting our fundamental freedoms at risk.
Washington Times: “Former President Donald Trump is working on a new list of 20 potential picks for the Supreme Court should he be reelected in November, The Washington Times has learned.
“The move revives a strategy he used to help win over conservatives in the 2016 election, which led to his reshaping the high court and the federal judiciary more broadly.”
“‘I’m going to be putting together a list of judges — great judges — a list of about 20. I think it’s important to reveal who your Supreme Court justices will be,’ Mr. Trump told The Times on Tuesday. ‘There are people who say the list helped me win the election last time.’”
Trump: “And when I’m back in the White House, I will once again appoint rock-solid conservative judges in the mold of justices like Antonin Scalia and the great Clarence Thomas. … And before Election Day 2024, I will again release the full list of names from which I will select my appointments to the United States Supreme Court.”
Politico: “Trump has made clear he expects unfleeting loyalty from the judges he appointed, referring to them as ‘my judges’ and grousing publicly when they ruled against his administration. ‘If it’s my judges, you know how they’re gonna decide,’ Trump assured evangelical leaders during the 2016 campaign.”