In a potential second term for former President Donald Trump, the landscape for reproductive rights in the United States could see significant changes. Despite his current stance on abortion, Trump’s track record as a staunch anti-abortion advocate during his previous term suggests that he could take swift action to curtail access to the procedure if reelected.
One key area of concern is medication abortion, where a new Trump administration could push the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to remove mifepristone, a commonly used drug in medication abortions, from the market. This move would have far-reaching implications for abortion access across all states, even where the procedure is legal. Anti-abortion activists have been actively advocating for this change, with a lawsuit in Texas set to be argued at the Supreme Court.
Furthermore, the potential enforcement of the Comstock Act, an 1873 anti-obscenity law that includes provisions related to abortion, could be used to restrict access to abortion medications. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has outlined a strategy to use the Comstock Act to target providers and distributors of abortion pills.
These proposed actions to restrict abortion access through presidential power could face opposition from the majority of Americans, including a growing share of Republican voters. Public opinion research indicates that a significant portion of Republicans oppose restrictions on medication abortions and laws that limit access to certain types of birth control. As the debate over reproductive rights continues, the potential impact of a second Trump administration on these issues remains a topic of concern for many Americans.