Former President Donald Trump hinted at possibly restricting access to abortion pills through federal regulations during a news conference on Thursday. While he didn’t explicitly endorse such actions, he left the door open for measures that could limit the availability of mifepristone, a key abortion drug.
Trump has previously expressed support for a Supreme Court decision that upheld access to mifepristone, stating, “I agree with their decision to have done that, and I will not block it.” However, his remarks during the Mar-a-Lago Club event on Thursday appeared to muddy his stance on the issue.
When asked by a reporter whether he would consider directing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revoke access to mifepristone, Trump didn’t dismiss the possibility. “Sure, you could, you could do things that will be, would, would supplement,” he responded. “Absolutely. … But you have to be able to have a vote, and all I want to do is give everybody a vote.”
Mifepristone is one of two drugs used in a regimen to terminate a pregnancy within the first 10 weeks. The majority of abortions in the United States are now conducted using medication, making access to mifepristone a significant issue. Limiting this access would have far-reaching consequences.
Trump’s comments could complicate his efforts to distance himself from the more extreme anti-abortion factions within the Republican Party. He has previously resisted pressure from activists to push for a national abortion ban, instead framing the issue as one for states to decide. His stance on abortion has been a point of contention within his party, as he supports a new GOP platform that has disappointed some anti-abortion activists. Following his remarks on Thursday, his campaign did not immediately clarify his position on mifepristone.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign has been vocal about making abortion access a central issue, quickly seizing on Trump’s comments. Some anti-abortion advocates have argued that the federal government’s approval of mifepristone decades ago was flawed and should be revoked, though such an action would face significant legal challenges. Additionally, these groups believe the FDA could impose stricter regulations on the drug, such as requiring patients to obtain it in person rather than by mail.
Throughout his campaign, Trump has sent mixed signals regarding his stance on abortion. During a debate with President Joe Biden earlier this year, Trump was asked if he would block access to abortion medication. He responded by saying, “First of all, the Supreme Court just approved the abortion pill. And I agree with their decision to have done that, and I will not block it.” However, the Supreme Court’s decision was actually to maintain access to mifepristone, siding with the Biden administration and the drug’s manufacturer on the grounds that the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge the issue.
In the same Thursday news conference, Trump elaborated on the mifepristone question, saying, “There are many things on a humane basis that you can do outside of that, but you also have to give a vote, and the people are going to have to decide.”
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As a Florida resident, Trump was also asked about a ballot measure aimed at overturning the state’s ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. He declined to reveal how he would vote on the measure, instead commenting, “I think the abortion issue has been very much tempered down. I answered, I think, very well in the debate, and it seems to be much less of an issue.”
