Five Lies Trump Told on Abortion Last Night; And One Truth

Washington, D.C. — Last night, we watched as Donald Trump spouted egregious lie after lie on every issue that is important to voters — including abortion rights. Trump’s only priority is himself. He does not care about our rights and freedoms; he only cares about getting a second term and will say anything to manipulate voters to get back in the White House. This November, we have a clear choice between two candidates and two fundamentally different visions for America. On one hand, we have Donald Trump — who repeatedly lies for his personal gain, brags about destroying our reproductive rights, and has aligned himself with opponents of abortion who want to go even further. Because of Donald Trump, 43% of women of reproductive age — and more trans and nonbinary folks —live in a state with an abortion ban. On the other, we have Joe Biden and Kamala Harris who have been fighting for our right to control our lives and bodies, and have done whatever possible to address the abortion access crisis Trump and his allies created.

LIE #1: Trump: “51 years ago you had Roe v. Wade and everybody wanted to get it back to the states. Everybody.”

Since Roe was overturned two years ago, poll after poll has shown that voters overwhelming disapprove of the decision from Trump’s Supreme Court and agree that it was bad for the country:

• May 2024 CNN Poll: 65% of U.S. adults opposed the 2022 Supreme Court decision.
• January 2024 Navigator Poll: Three in five Americans say the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, eliminating the federal right to an abortion, has been bad for the country.
• June 2023 NBC News Poll: Six in 10 voters remain opposed to the court’s elimination of  federal protection of the right to abortion.
• February 2023 PPRI Poll: There is no state where a majority of voters supported the decision to overturn Roe v Wade.

LIE #2: Trump says he “would not block” the abortion pill.

Cute lie. We know Trump will do whatever he needs to get elected, like working with allies who already have a plan to severely restrict abortion access. That plan includes: ending access to the abortion pill, mifepristone, and trying to enforce a radical and flawed interpretation of the 1800s-era Comstock laws. If wilfully misapplied, these laws, which even predate women's voting rights, could be used to override FDA approval of the abortion pill and punish both abortion providers and patients seeking care — essentially banning all abortion.

LIE #3: Trump claimed that “the Supreme Court just approved the abortion pill.”

Another bald-faced lie. The Supreme Court did not “approve the abortion pill,” it punted, saying the specific plaintiffs before the Court did not have legal standing to bring the case. This same case could continue in lower courts with additional plaintiffs, as the states of Kansas, Missouri, and Idaho have already intervened. It may be politically expedient for the Supreme Court to avoid ruling against abortion rights in an election year — but voters will remember these efforts to further restrict their rights. Beyond the Supreme Court, Trump’s allies dangerously worked to reshape the judiciary in his first term. If re-elected, he’s already threatened to continue his crusade by stacking the courts with more out-of-touch judges who are hostile to reproductive health. They could serve lifetime appointments and harm generations to come.

LIE #4: Trump claimed there is abortion “after birth.”
This is not how pregnancy works. What Trump is describing is infanticide, which is already illegal, and it is dangerous and insulting to say otherwise. His goal and the goal of abortion opponents is to deliberately stigmatize and mislabel abortion care. No abortions take place after birth. Less than 1% of abortions take place in the third trimester, and when they do it is often a result of catastrophic medical diagnoses. People should have access to the care they need throughout pregnancy. At no point in a pregnancy is a politician more qualified to make decisions about your health than you and your health care provider.

LIE #5: Trump would not take further action on abortion because “right now the states could control it”

Nice try, but Trump has repeatedly voiced support for a national abortion ban, saying as recently as March 2024 that a 15-week ban was “reasonable.” He also supported a national 20-week abortion ban as president — the first president to include that ban in his budget. He only changed his public stance as scrutiny heightened, because it’s clear he’s on the wrong side of voters. And if his administration tries to enforce a radical and incorrect version of the Comstock laws, abortion would be banned in every state. Trump’s own lawyer (and potential AG candidate) Jonathan Mitchell admitted, “We don’t need a federal [abortion] ban when we have Comstock on the books.” 

TRUTH: While the lies are abundant, there is always one truth you can be sure Trump will tell: that he is proudly responsible for overturning Roe v Wade. He’s right. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris need to be re-elected to stop Donald Trump and his allies from further demolishing our rights.

Trump appointed three of the justices who decided to strip away our federal abortion rights. Now, because of him, 21 states and counting have abortion bans. That means 28 million women — and more trans and nonbinary folks — live in a state where they don’t have control over their lives, bodies, and futures. This is the world that Donald Trump and his allies are creating and they are not stopping. The end goal has not changed: to ban abortion nationwide and make sexual and reproductive health care inaccessible — no matter the cost and no matter the suffering. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are champions for reproductive rights who will defend our democracy and make sure politicians stay out of our personal medical decisions.

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Planned Parenthood Votes is an independent expenditure political committee registered with the Federal Election Commission.