Vice President Kamala Harris has implicated former President Donald Trump in the revival of an 1864 abortion ban in Arizona, blaming him for the erosion of federal abortion rights. The Arizona Supreme Court recently upheld the old ban in light of the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Trump, who had previously expressed concern that a strong anti-abortion stance could hurt his party in the elections, distanced himself by stating that states should decide on abortion laws. Harris accused Trump of orchestrating a larger strategy to restrict women’s rights and noted that more than 20 states now have Trump abortion bans in place.
During a campaign stop in Tucson, Harris reiterated her stance that Trump was responsible for pushing for these abortion bans, pointing out his earlier controversial comments on punishing women seeking abortions and his appointment of Supreme Court justices with the intention of overturning Roe v. Wade. She emphasized that Trump’s actions have led to one in three women of reproductive age living in states with Trump abortion bans, calling out his attempts to distance himself from these policies as “gaslighting.” Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, responded by reiterating Trump’s belief that abortion decisions should be left to the states to determine through legislation.
At a joint press conference with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Trump continued to tout his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, asserting that the states are now handling the issue of abortion rights effectively following the decision. He claimed that all “real legal scholars” agreed that abortion rights should be returned to the states and stated that his administration had successfully broken Roe v. Wade, leading to harmonious state-level decisions regarding abortion. Trump expressed confidence that Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and others would work to bring the 1864 abortion ban “back to within reason” and described the states’ rights approach as a “perfect system.”
Despite Trump’s assertions, Democratic efforts to repeal the nearly 160-year-old abortion ban in Arizona were initially blocked by Republican lawmakers. Trump’s promises to not support a federal abortion ban and leave decisions up to individual states have sparked criticism and skepticism about his true intentions regarding abortion rights. He has faced backlash for his past anti-abortion rhetoric and policies, especially in light of the recent Supreme Court decision that has significantly impacted reproductive rights in the United States. This ongoing debate over abortion laws underscores the broader political and social divisions regarding women’s healthcare and reproductive autonomy in the country.
