Trump and GOP retreat from near-total abortion ban in Arizona

Donald Trump and his party led an all-hands retreat from the furthest reaches of the pro-life standpoint this week after an Arizona Supreme Court decision snapped back into place the state’s century-old abortion ban which bars the practice in almost all cases.

The former president made his latest remarks on the topic after landing on Wednesday in Atlanta for a fundraiser; he told reporters upon his arrival that officials in Arizona could work together to bring the state’s abortion lawns back within the realm of “reason”. It was as close to a flat-out admission of “going too far” as one could expect from Mr Trump.

“It’ll be straightened out and as you know, it’s all about states’ rights,” he said. “It’ll be straightened out, and I’m sure that the governor and everybody else are going to bring it back into reason and that’ll be taken care of, I think, very quickly.”

He was far from the only one. Kari Lake, the GOP’s chosen Senate candidate in Arizona, is also backing away from a ban to which she once gave a full-throated endorsement in June 2022. Having previously told voters she was “thrilled” about the prospect of her state banning abortion in all cases except when a patient’s life is in danger, Ms Lake this week released a lengthy statement calling the 1901 ban out of step with Arizonans.

“I oppose today’s ruling, and I am calling on [Governor] Katie Hobbs and the state Legislature to come up with an immediate commonsense solution that Arizonans can support,” said Ms Lake this week.

But as the two and others were attacked by pro-life groups this week for their about-faces, it was clear that the Republican Party is by no means close to even a basic understanding of what their own policy on reproductive freedom should be