Top 2024 Republicans divided on whether abortion is a state issue as presidential race heats up
Ryan King
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Top 2024 Republican hopefuls are divided over whether to kick the growing issue of abortion to the states or lean on the federal government to safeguard the unborn.
A barrage of polls has indicated that anti-abortion policies could be a potent liability in the general election, but primary contenders are also keenly energizing their base.
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“It’s a state issue. And every time a Republican talks about banning this or this many weeks here or there, we are losing,” Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH) told NBC’s Meet the Press. “Let me get every Republican potential candidate to take a piece of paper and write this down: it’s a state issue.”
Unlike most Republicans, Sununu opposed the overturn of Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed national abortion access. But his sentiment about offloading the politically volatile issue to the states was reportedly echoed by the 2024 Republican front-runner, former President Donald Trump.
Trump, known for his sharp read on the GOP base, conveyed that he views abortion as a states’ rights matter, the Washington Post reported. That revelation triggered backlash from anti-abortion activists and groups such as Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
During his Saturday remarks at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, one of the first major cattle calls of the 2024 cycle, Trump sought to emphasize his anti-abortion wins, touting the overturn of Roe.
“Those justices delivered a landmark victory for protecting innocent life. Nobody thought it was going to happen,” Trump declared via a video address. “They thought it would be another 50 years. Because Republicans had been trying to do it for exactly that period of time, 50 years.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence dissented from Trump on the notion that abortion is solely a state issue. He contended the high court “didn’t turn the issue of abortion over to the states, they turned it over to the American people.”
“I do think it’s more likely that this issue is resolved at the state level, but I don’t agree with the former president, who says this is a states-only issue,” Pence said at the Iowa event. “We’ve been given a new beginning for life in this country. I think we have an opportunity to advance the sanctity of life, move it ever closer to the center of American law.”
Pence also drew a contrast with some of his potential 2024 rivals for applauding the Texas judge’s decision to halt the approval of mifepristone, part of a two-drug regimen to induce abortion. Some contenders, such as former United Nations Ambassador and former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC), voiced criticism about the move.
“What I mean is this is a personal issue for women and for men,” Haley said earlier this month, the Des Moines Register reported. “It needs to be treated with the respect that it should. I don’t want unelected judges deciding something this personal.”
The Supreme Court paused the Texas ruling as an appeal plays out in a lower court.
Another potential 2024 hopeful, former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ), suggested the states are better arbiters of abortion than the federal government.
“I’ve always been pro-life with exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother,” Christie told the Washington Post. “I believe these are decisions that should be made by governors, state legislatures, and their citizens at the state level. The states, not the federal government, should be making these decisions.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), perhaps Trump’s top 2024 rival should he enter the race, has not waded into whether abortion should be more of a state or federal issue. However, he recently signed a so-called “heartbeat bill” to ban the procedure except under limited circumstances after the detection of a fetal heartbeat.
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As Republicans grapple over how to handle abortion, which some credit for the party’s performance in the 2022 midterm elections, Democrats have periodically slammed Republicans over the matter.
Meanwhile, a recent NBC poll found that 58% of adults believe abortion should be legal either always or most of the time. Only 38% argued it should be illegal.