Topline
Former President Donald Trump applauded the Supreme Court for striking down Roe v. Wade on Friday, and claimed the decision was “only made possible because I delivered everything as promised”—taking credit for a ruling decided partly by Trump-appointed justices.
Former President Donald Trump speaks on May 28 in Casper, Wyoming.
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Key Facts
In a statement, Trump said it was his “great honor” to nominate three conservatives to the Supreme Court, a move that dramatically shifted the court’s ideological skew.
All three of Trump’s appointees—Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett—sided with the majority opinion Friday, which gave states the power to ban abortion by tossing out both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
Crucial Quote
“Today’s decision, which is the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation, along with other decisions that have been announced recently, were only made possible because I delivered everything as promised,” Trump wrote in a statement.
Tangent
Trump’s position on abortion has shifted dramatically. In a 1999 interview with NBC, he called himself “very pro-choice” but said he personally dislikes abortion. However, during his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly vowed to nominate “pro-life judges” and predicted an overturn of Roe v. Wade would “happen automatically” if he’s elected, a stance that probably endeared him to evangelical voters. At one point in 2016, Trump said “there has to be some form of punishment” for women who receive abortions, though his campaign quickly backtracked and said he didn’t support prosecuting women who get the procedure.
Key Background
In Friday’s ruling, Judge Samuel Alito called the 1973 Roe decision “egregiously wrong,” arguing the right to an abortion doesn’t appear in the Constitution and isn’t “deeply rooted” in history. Four other justices signed onto Alito’s decision, including Trump’s picks plus Justice Clarence Thomas, while Justice John Roberts concurred with the court’s move to uphold Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban but didn’t side with overturning Roe. Over a dozen states are expected to immediately ban abortion in the wake of the ruling, and other GOP-controlled states could pursue stricter limits to abortion than those allowed under Roe.
Further Reading
Roe V. Wade Overturned: Supreme Court Overturns Landmark Abortion Decision, Lets States Ban Abortion (Forbes)
