Trump and abortion

Donald Trump claimed that Democrats support the right to an abortion “up to and even beyond the ninth month.” That simply isn’t true. There’s no such thing as a post-birth abortion.

As much as Trump bragged about being responsible for getting Roe vs. Wade overturned, he’s now trying to distract us from this because the ruling is so unpopular. Numerous polls indicate that most Americans support a woman’s right to choose, with restrictions during the second or third trimester.

There are 14 Republican-controlled states that ban abortion in nearly all circumstances. Seven Republican states ban it at times ranging from six weeks to 18 weeks. This is before many women know they’re pregnant.

Arizona has a 15-week ban, yet a total ban will soon take effect based on a law passed in 1864. Anyone who performs or assists in an abortion could face prison time.

Many Republicans also want to use the 1873 Comstock Act to criminalize the shipping of any materials that could be used in an abortion. This would include abortion pills, even in states where they’re currently legal.

In February, Jonathan F. Mitchell, the former solicitor general of Texas, told the New York Times that Comstock would allow Republicans to impose a national abortion ban, although he cautioned that “pro-life groups should keep their mouths shut as much as possible until the election.”

I used to think Republicans wanted to push women’s rights back to the 1960s. It seems they’d rather push reproductive rights back to the mid-1800s.