Trust Women, Or Trust Trump?
American women have been faced with significant reproductive uncertainty since July 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in a 6-3 ruling. On November 5, 2024, when Donald Trump declared his win as the 47th President of the United States, these concerns over abortion rights deepened. Now that the House and Senate are in Republican control, many people are left wondering what is next for the future of women's rights. For many American women, wondering is their worst nightmare.
During his first term, Donald Trump made it well known that he was going to appoint pro-life Supreme Court Justices. The three Justices — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett — were sworn in after Trump's nomination and accounted for 50% of the favoring vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending almost 50 years of abortion rights. Amy Coney Barrett ultimately replaced Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a revolutionary Supreme Court Justice who fought for human rights issues and is widely known for her inspiration to feminists across the nation. Barrett was sworn into the Supreme Court on October 26, 2020, just over a month after Ginsburg's passing. In effect of endorsing anti-abortion Justices to the Supreme Court, and his public opposition to abortion, many blame Trump for taking this once federal right away and leaving it up to the states.
Roe v. Wade was established in U.S. constitutional law in 1973 when the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the right to privacy under the Constitution to protect a woman's choice to have an abortion should be upheld. The ruling specifically established that states would not have the power to ban abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy. Many Americans struggle to understand why Roe v. Wade was not codified during the 49 years after its establishment in 1973. Despite various attempts over decades and even Democratic majorities in Congress during the Clinton and Obama eras, no legislation successfully enshrined Roe v. Wade. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, 41 states have adopted abortion bans that range from severe to mild. 13 states have a total abortion ban. In 28 states, there are bans based on gestational duration — the measure of the age of a pregnancy taken from the beginning of the woman's last menstrual period. Out of these 28 states, 8 have a ban at or before 18 weeks of pregnancy, and the other 20 ban it at a later point. In Alabama, it is illegal to get an abortion and any attempt in which a woman or doctor is guilty of receiving or performing the procedure can be put in jail. There are also no exceptions for rape or incest. The legalities and technicalities of abortion vary by state, which puts American women in a position where their access to reproductive care is dependent on which state they live in.
But despite the overturn of reproductive rights, and the results of the recent election, many American women have made it clear this is an issue they will not rest upon until it is fully protected. But until that day, they have taken matters into their own hands. The 4B or "4 No's" movement is a feminist movement originating in the mid-late 2010's in South Korea and practiced to combat the patriarchy and liberate women's bodies. Now, this movement has sparked interest among American women nationwide. The "4 No's" are equivalent to no sex, no dating men, no getting married to men, and no having children with men. The 4B movement gained popularity shortly after Trump's victory, due to fear of limited reproductive care including access to birth control and emergency contraception.
A large amount of American women have recently started to buy large amounts of birth control, and contraceptives, and are making appointments for IUDs and other types of pregnancy-preventing options in response to Trump's win. Rebecca Gomperts, the founder of Aid Access — the USA's number one provider for abortion pills by mail — gathered with her American team in a Paris apartment before the election strategizing how they would respond to a surge in demand for their product. After Trump's win, Aid Access received over 5,000 requests for abortion pills over a 12 hour period. During an interview with The Guardian, Gomperts shared, "I can see all the new requests ticking in as we're talking. We've never seen this before." The last time a surge as high as this was recorded was July of 2022. Women in the United States have already started to take measures to protect themselves before Trump takes office in January.
During the 2024 election, 10 states (Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota) returned abortion to their ballot, the most out of any election in American history. Out of the 10 states, 7 succeeded in moving forward to protect abortion rights, however, Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota failed to win the majority vote to defend abortion rights. Opening up more access to abortion care in 7 more states is a win on its own, but this is still not enough for many pro-choice advocates.
Accessibility is the main issue when it comes to abortion rights. For many American women, the decision to follow through with an abortion can be complicated by legal barriers, but also by financial restraint. Some women who require an abortion may have the means to travel out of state to receive the care they need, however, many women do not have this privilege for one reason or another. During the abortion procedure, the patient will have to undergo what is called the waiting period. While some women may have the financial or career advantages allowing them to take multiple days off of work or school to travel out of state, many do not. Applying for abortion aid can be an option, but the time it takes to receive funds relies on factors such as the organization, situation, travel needs, date of application, and the gestational age. These forms of aid can be beneficial but heavily depend on the overall circumstances of the patient.
The debate on protecting abortion in the United States is a major political issue due to the fact that it is both a women's rights issue and a healthcare crisis. When access to safe abortion is not preserved, the lives of females are at risk. It is clear that not every woman has the same access as other women due to geographic and financial advantages, limiting the accessibility and overall choices she can make. Protecting abortion would ensure that all women, from any part of the United States, can receive essential healthcare without facing unnecessary barriers.
Project 2025, Donald Trump's blueprint for future policies he plans to implement in his upcoming term, would hinder abortion access by ending medication abortion, denying life-saving abortion care to women in crisis, prosecuting the providers of abortion supplies, permitting men and women to harass patients outside abortion clinics, and initiate a system that can track women who undergo abortion.
Trump clarifies to his audience that he is a strict advocate for pro-life policies. Following the Supreme Court's 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, Donald Trump stated, "This is is a great day for the country." Later in 2023, Trump claimed, “I’m pro-life, and I’ve done more for the pro-life movement than anybody. And I’m very proud of it.” During an event at the 2024 Republican Presidential Primary Race, he stated, “I will appoint pro-life justices. I will work with Congress, and we will get a national consensus. We will save babies, and I believe that we can do it in a way that’s not as harsh and will have more support." Appointing pro-life Justices is a strategy we saw during his first Presidential term; one that paved the way for Roe v. Wade to be revoked in the first place.
Trump has never stated that he would enforce a federal ban on abortion, however, he has expressed his belief that the decision should be left to the states. Trump has advocated that abortion does not deserve federal enshrinement.
Trump's 2019 'Protect Life Rule' led Planned Parenthood to withdraw from Title X funding, losing approximately $60 million in federal support, which limited access to reproductive healthcare for lower-income Americans.
While it cannot be determined for sure what will happen in his upcoming term in regard to reproductive rights, Trump's previous efforts do not align with moving toward a future to protect abortion.
Many citizens are curious to see how the Trump Administration will change the country starting in 2025, especially in light of the red wave that has swept through the U.S. government. Millions of women are fearful of what will change, or not change at all regarding abortion rights. Donald Trump's opinions and his supporters' opinions about abortion rights are very clear. Trump’s future Vice President, JD Vance has suggested that he would like to support a national law limiting abortion.
American women are voicing the confusion and anger they feel about men in the U.S. government making decisions about their bodies. For many women, Trump’s history of misogynistic remarks undermines his credibility on issues affecting women’s rights. When directed to turn to the topic of abortion during the Vice Presidential debate, Vance advocated for females to “Trust me and Trump,” whereas Democrat Vice President candidate Tim Walz voiced, “Trust women.”
Though progressive changes to abortion rights seem unlikely in this upcoming administration, many American women remain determined to fight for reform, creating a path to a future with greater reproductive freedom.
