Boris Johnson: Roe v. Wade reversal "a backward step"
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U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson reiterated his belief that the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is a "backward step" during an interview with CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.
Why it matters: Human rights groups and global leaders have warned the court's ruling could have wide-reaching consequences for reproductive rights around the world, writes Axios' Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath.
- Johnson was among the world leaders to criticize the ruling when it came out Friday, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Driving the news: "The Roe v. Wade judgment, when it came out, it was of huge importance psychologically for people around the world, and it spoke of the advancement of the rights of women," Johnson said Sunday. "I regret what seems to me to be a backward step."
- "I want to be very clear about that," he said. "I think the United States, for me, it remains a shining city on a hill. It's an incredible guarantor of values, democracy, freedom around the world."
- Yes, but: Johnson added he doesn't think the rollback of abortion rights hurts America's role as a representative of rights and freedom.
The big picture: The ruling makes the U.S. a global outlier on abortion rights, joining just three other countries that have rolled back abortion access since 1994, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights. In the last 25 years, nearly 60 countries have liberalized their abortion laws.
Go deeper: What happens now that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade
