Trump's Anti-Abortion Legacy: A Signature Of Oppression

Former US President Donald Trump has been a vocal supporter of anti-abortion policies. In 2017, he signed an executive order, known as the Mexico City Policy or the Global Gag Rule, which bans federal funding for international groups that perform or provide information on abortions. Trump has also taken other actions to restrict abortion access, such as appointing conservative judges to the Supreme Court and defunding Planned Parenthood. During his presidential debates in 2024, Trump falsely claimed that Democrats support abortions after birth, despite having previously expressed mixed messages about abortion.

Trump's anti-abortion executive order, known as the Mexico City Policy or the Global Gag Rule

On January 23, 2017, United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order reinstating and expanding the "Mexico City Policy", also known as the "Global Gag Rule". This policy blocks federal funding for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that provide abortion counselling or referrals, advocate to decriminalise abortion, or expand abortion services.

The Mexico City Policy was first implemented in 1984 by the Reagan administration and has since been rescinded by Democratic presidents and reinstated by Republican presidents. Trump's expansion of the policy means that it now applies to all international health organisations that receive US government funding, rather than only family planning organisations. This includes offices such as USAID, the Department of State, Global Aids Coordinator, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Health, and Department of Defense.

The policy requires foreign NGOs to certify that they will not "perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning" with non-US funds as a condition for receiving US global health assistance. This includes funding for family planning, reproductive health, maternal and child health, nutrition, HIV/AIDS, and other health programs.

The Global Gag Rule has been criticised by pro-choice groups, who argue that it jeopardises the health and well-being of women and girls around the world. They claim that the policy blocks access to healthcare, stifles local advocacy efforts, and undermines reproductive rights. In addition, critics argue that the policy reduces overall funding for particular NGOs and closes off their access to condoms and other forms of contraception supplied by USAID.

Research has shown that the Mexico City Policy has had negative consequences, including increasing the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions, reducing access to modern contraception and information about family planning, and contributing to higher maternal and infant mortality rates.

Trump's reversal of an Obama-era rule protecting women's access to basic healthcare

On April 13, 2017, President Trump signed a measure to reverse an Obama-era rule that protected women's access to basic healthcare. The rule protected healthcare for patients who relied on federal funding for family planning services like birth control and cancer screening through the Title X program.

The measure was first voted on by the U.S. House of Representatives and later passed by the Senate before being signed by President Trump. The reversal of the Obama-era rule paved the way for state politicians to block people from getting the care they need from highly qualified reproductive healthcare providers.

The Center for Reproductive Rights' president and CEO, Nancy Northup, said that President Trump had "delivered a gut punch to the millions of Americans who rely on family planning providers for their basic healthcare needs." She added that Trump showed a "callous disregard for our health and rights."

The reversal of the Obama-era rule was part of a series of moves by the Trump administration to restrict access to reproductive healthcare services. In addition, Trump reinstated an expanded version of the Global Gag Rule, which dictates that U.S.-supported international family planning groups abroad may not provide or promote safe and legal abortion services, even with their own funding. This policy puts women's health and lives at risk, as it allows exceptions only in cases of rape, incest, or life-threatening pregnancy.

Trump's actions on abortion and reproductive rights have faced widespread criticism from pro-choice groups and reproductive rights organizations. During his presidency, Trump also reshaped the federal courts by appointing over 200 federal judges and three Supreme Court justices with anti-abortion views, shifting the makeup of the judicial system in favor of restricting abortion rights.

Trump's false claim that Democrats support abortions after birth

During a debate with Kamala Harris, former US President Donald Trump made a false claim about the Democratic stance on abortions. He said:

> [Kamala Harris's] vice-presidential pick ... says that abortion in the ninth month is absolutely fine. [Tim Walz] also says: 'Execution after birth' – execution, no longer abortion because the baby is born – is OK.

Trump's claim was fact-checked and found to be false. It is not legal in any US state to kill a baby after birth.

Trump's comments echo the inflammatory rhetoric used by a growing number of anti-abortion politicians, who have been accused of manufacturing outrage against safe, legal abortion by accusing pro-reproductive health politicians of supporting infanticide.

Trump's stance on abortion has shifted over time. As a 2016 presidential candidate, he supported a federal abortion ban at 20 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest, and when the mother's life is at risk. He reiterated this support during his presidency. However, during his current campaign, he is not supporting a federal ban and has instead said that abortion policy should be decided by each individual state.

Trump's pick for vice-president, JD Vance, has indicated that he would support a national abortion ban. This position is seemingly contradicted by Trump's wife, Melania, who has expressed passionate support for a woman's right to control her own body, including the right to abortion. In her upcoming memoir, she writes:

> Restricting a woman's right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body. I have carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life.

Melania Trump's views on abortion appear to be out of step with her husband and the Republican Party. Her support for abortion rights has stunned anti-abortion activists, with one activist saying that her "support of abortion is anti-feminist and clearly outside the teaching of our Catholic faith. She is wrong."

Trump's support for a US abortion ban

Donald Trump has been a vocal supporter of a US abortion ban. During his time in office, he took several measures to restrict access to abortion and reproductive health care.

Trump's administration took a strong anti-abortion stance, with the former president reshaping the federal courts by appointing over 200 federal judges, including three Supreme Court justices, who held anti-abortion views. This shift in the makeup of the courts empowered anti-abortion politicians and groups, leading to a wave of restrictive legislation and policies at the state and federal levels.

One of Trump's notable actions was signing an executive order to reinstate the "Mexico City Policy," which bans federal funding for international organizations that provide abortion services or information. This policy, first implemented by Ronald Reagan, has been a point of contention between Democratic and Republican administrations.

Trump also reversed an Obama-era rule that protected women's access to basic health care through the Title X program. This change allowed state politicians to block people from receiving services from qualified reproductive health care providers, including those offering abortion care.

Additionally, Trump reinstated and expanded the global gag rule, which restricts non-governmental organizations receiving federal funding from providing abortion-related services or referrals, even in cases where women's health and lives are at risk.

Despite facing some criticism and needing to maintain support from evangelical voters, Trump has attempted to present a more moderate position on abortion rights while quietly reassuring anti-abortion activists that he will continue to support their agenda. For example, he altered the Republican Party platform to remove the explicit call for a federal abortion ban, replacing it with more convoluted language suggesting that abortion rights are unconstitutional.

Trump has also expressed support for exceptions to an abortion ban in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother. However, his actions and the impact of his policies suggest a stronger commitment to restricting abortion access.

Trump's defunding of Planned Parenthood

In 2017, former President Donald Trump signed a measure that reversed an Obama-era rule protecting women's access to basic health care. The rule protected health care for patients who relied on federal funding for family planning services like birth control and cancer screening through the Title X program.

Trump's measure paved the way for state politicians to block people from getting care from highly qualified reproductive health care providers. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights President and CEO, Nancy Northup, Trump's actions delivered a "gut punch" to the millions of Americans who rely on family planning providers for their basic health care needs.

Trump's commitment to defunding Planned Parenthood was reiterated by Sen. JD Vance, Trump's running mate in the 2024 election. Vance stated that Trump's views on defunding Planned Parenthood have been consistent, and that the former president would seek to end federal money for the organisation if elected.

In 2019, Planned Parenthood was forced to withdraw from Title X, a government family planning program, after the Trump administration passed a rule forbidding clinics participating in the program from providing abortion provider referrals. This move was in line with Trump's stance on abortion and his efforts to restrict access to the procedure.

Trump's administration also introduced a "'gag rule'" that would have made clinics ineligible for federal health funds if they provided abortions or referrals for them. This rule would have cut as much as $60 million in government funds from Planned Parenthood. The organisation sued, and while the rule was initially blocked, it was later allowed to take effect.

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