Kari Lake disavows Arizona abortion ban ruling

• "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 said in a statement.
• But Lake said in 2022 that the near-total ban the ruling upholds is a "great law" and said it sets an example for other states.

The big picture: Former President Trump on Monday said abortion access is a question for individual states, a shift that angered anti-abortion conservatives but was welcomed by much of the party as Trump vies for another term.

• But the Arizona decision shows how even that strategy puts Republicans in a bad spot on abortion when a state policy goes too far for the mainstream of the party.
• Lake in the past has called abortion the "ultimate sin" and applauded other states' decisions to restrict abortion access.

The other side: Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Az.), who will likely face off against Lake for the Senate seat in November, pounced on the Arizona ruling immediately.

• "Yet again, extremist politicians like Kari Lake are forcing themselves into doctors' offices and ripping away the right for women to make their own healthcare decisions," Gallego said in a statement.

• Gallego slammed Lake for her prior support for the law. She made the comments in a June 2022 radio interview where she singled out the century-old law.

Reality check: The blanket abortion prohibition in Arizona may only be temporary. Advocates are collecting signatures to refer an abortion rights measure to the November 2024 ballot.

• Democrats have been rushing to get abortion rights measures on '24 ballots as it looks to be a winning issue with the potential to draw otherwise uninspired voters to the polls.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more reporting.