Republicans who once saw a bright future for themselves as they approached the pivotal November election are now mired in the aftereffects of the Dobbs decision that dismantled abortion protections and had been made worse by a presidential nominee and his running mate who can't seem to get on the same page about how to address it.
As the Washington Post reported on Sunday morning, the issue of abortion is tearing the Republican party apart because there is disagreement over how far the ban should go on the hot-button issue that has become a central issue for voters.
With the GOP still unable to find their "footing" on abortion, Donald Trump and running mate J.D. Vance are making matters worse with conflicting — and often changing — opinions on what comes next with regard to limitations.
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According to the Post, "Trump has sought to moderate his position but carries the baggage of helping to overturn Roe, the landmark abortion rights case, and this week he opposed an abortion rights measure in Florida after months of equivocating. Running mate JD Vance, like a host of other GOP candidates, has softened his stance — but found his past support for sweeping abortion restrictions hard to escape. And party leaders have been evasive on key policy questions such as their plans for abortion pill access."
According to one Republican insider, Chuck Coughlin, a GOP consultant in Arizona, "They have looked like a three-ring circus that’s badly managed,“ before adding, "It’s just terrible the way they’ve handled the whole thing.”
Coughlin also cited Trump ever-changing views on the topic, saying he want to move on but, "He’s a deer in the headlights.”
Antiabortion activist Abby Johnson, who spoke at the 2020 GOP convention in support of the former president but does not back him in 2024, agreed, and added, "He’s handled abortion so poorly this election — I wasn’t surprised.”
The Post report adds, "Many Republican strategists have successfully urged GOP candidates to moderate their public positions, and especially to distance themselves from an Alabama state court ruling that embryos are children, threatening access to in vitro fertilization. But as Republican-dominated states adopt sweeping abortion restrictions, these candidates have struggled to address their unpopularity."
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