GOP suffers desert meltdown on abortion
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A day after former President Trump thought he'd tamped down the GOP's exposure on abortion, it popped back up in the key 2024 battleground of Arizona.
Why it matters: Trump ushered in the end of Roe vs. Wade and its national protection of abortion rights, and now his party is suffering a massive voter backlash.
- Abortion rights have yet to lose since the end of Roe when the decision has been up to voters instead of legislators or courts.
The big picture: Despite the backlash, state-level Republicans have responded to the end of Roe by pushing extremely strict restrictions on abortion, including many that effectively outlaw the practice.
- The Arizona Supreme Court, controlled by GOP-appointed justices, upheld today a 1864 law that allowed abortion only to save the life of the mother.
Between the lines: The state court ruling creates a stark contrast in November.
- Republicans have ushered in a near-total ban.
- Democrats are pushing a state constitutional amendment for the ballot to protect abortion rights up to 24 weeks.
The bottom line: In a sign of the toxicity of the ruling, likely GOP Senate nominee Kari Lake disavowed it, despite previously supporting the law the ruling upheld.
- Lake today: "I oppose today's ruling, and I am calling on [Democratic Gov.] Katie Hobbs and the state Legislature to come up with an immediate commonsense solution that Arizonans can support."
- Lake in 2022: The near-total ban is a "great law" and sets an example for other states.
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