Trump takes credit for Dobbs decision but worries it 'won't help him in the future'
Former President Donald Trump said Friday that the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization was "the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation" and was "only made possible" by his three Supreme Court appointees.
During a 2016 presidential debate, Trump predicted that Roe v. Wade (1973), which established abortion as a constitutional right, would be overturned "automatically" if he were elected and given the chance to "put another two or perhaps three" pro-life justices on the Supreme Court. Trump's words proved prophetic. All three of his appointees — Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett — voted to overturn Roe.
Privately, however, Trump has expressed concerns about the political consequences of the Dobbs decision.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Two of Trump's advisors told The Washington Post that the former president favors limiting abortion rather than banning it and has complained that a too-zealous crackdown on abortion rights could hurt Republicans in the suburbs.
"He is convinced it won't help him in the future," one advisor said of Trump's response to the Dobbs decision. Trump has teased repeatedly that he plans to run for president in 2024.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Today's political cartoons - March 16, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - pointed commentary, Haiti in trouble, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilarious cartoons about the RNC's MAGA takeover
Cartoons Artists take on RNC funding, Lara Trump, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Trump's presidential run: a bad bet for Republicans?
Talking Point The GOP is taking a 'big gamble' on former president's 2024 White House bid
By The Week UK Published
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
speed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidence
Speed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulations
Speed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriage
Speed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump and his lawyer Alina Habba have a rough day in defamation court
Speed Read Trump's audible grousing as E. Jean Carroll testified earned him a warning he could be thrown out of court, and Habba showed she 'doesn't know what the hell she's doing'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Anders Breivik to testify in prison isolation lawsuit against Norway
Speed Read Far-right fanatic who killed 77 people in 2011 claims he has received 'inhuman treatment' in custody
By The Week UK Published
-
Texas judge approves abortion of nonviable fetus, drawing threat from Texas attorney general
Speed Read Kate Cox petitioned to terminate her doomed pregnancy, salvaging her uterus and the option to try for more children
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Former Philadelphia police officer charged with murder for Eddie Irizarry shooting
Speed Read
By Rafi Schwartz Published