Former President Barack Obama joined those pushing for abortion rights this weekend, which marked 50 years since the Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade that originally outlined nationwide legal access to abortion — an anniversary the country didn’t reach before the same court, now with three Trump picks, undid that decision.
“On what would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we’re reminded that progress can move backward,” the former president posted on Twitter this Sunday. “And that means we’ve got to recommit to doing our part to protect and expand reproductive rights for families today — and for generations to come. I hope you’ll join with the activists who’ve been sounding the alarm on this issue for years — and act. Stand with them at a local protest. Volunteer with them on a campaign. Donate to their causes. And vote in every election for candidates who will support reproductive rights.”
I hope you’ll join with the activists who’ve been sounding the alarm on this issue for years — and act. Stand with them at a local protest. Volunteer with them on a campaign. Donate to their causes. And vote in every election for candidates who will support reproductive rights.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 22, 2023
Others who engaged in similar advocacy this weekend included Hillary Clinton, who spoke to the national ambitions of the far-right politicians and their supporters who have pushed and enacted abortion restrictions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe. States are now free to put their own sweeping bans in place, and Congress could, in theory, put new protections for abortion in place at the federal level that would turn at least some of this back, but there is also the technical possibility that Republicans get new abortion restrictions passed at the federal level instead. For now, President Joe Biden would obviously veto any such measure he faced, and Democrats obviously would fight against any such ban making it through the Senate, but the possibility highlights the stakes of 2024.
“Today should have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade,” Clinton said. “We know MAGA Republicans won’t stop until abortion is banned nationwide. So we can’t stop fighting for reproductive freedom everywhere.” Notably, Trump himself — who could clinch the Republican nomination for the presidency in 2024, despite current upheaval and uncertainty around his campaign and its viability — distanced himself from the Republicans most vocal in their party’s push against abortion earlier this year. He blamed what he called the “abortion issue” for the widespread struggles seen by Republican candidates in the midterms, elaborating that he felt those who pushed for restrictions with no exceptions hurt the party’s standing. To be clear, Republican candidates largely defined by their association with Trump also lost in the midterms in high-profile races for Senate and other roles.
