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A trio of stories over the past week have provided a glimpse into how devastating a second Trump term would be for reproductive freedom. Not just abortion -- everything from contraception to fertility treatments are under threat. Indivisibles,
A trio of stories over the past week have provided a glimpse into how devastating a second Trump term would be for reproductive freedom. Not just abortion -- everything from contraception to fertility treatments are under threat.
When we talk about stuff this dystopian, some try to write it off as alarmism or a symptom of “Trump derangement syndrome.” But these stories are notable because two come from inside Trump’s circle -- their plans in their words. And a third demonstrates that in Republican-controlled states, some of the most alarming plans are already underway.
You may have seen these stories, but a lot of voters haven’t -- and it’s up to all of us to raise the volume on this news and do everything within our power to defeat Trump this November.
Trump would 💯% sign an abortion ban
First, after an election cycle filled with maddening stories casting Trump’s positions on abortion as somehow mysterious and unknown, The New York Times reported last week that Trump backs a national abortion ban.
The Trump campaign is pretending to be angry about this ‘leak,’ but let’s be real here – this is obviously the campaign soft launching a ban at an arbitrary amount of weeks (it’s reported he likes sixteen because it’s is a nice round number) to see how extreme he can take his position without dooming his reelection prospects.
This is the guy who stacked the Court with anti-abortion justices. Who bragged about getting rid of Roe. Who said women who get abortions need to be punished. And having seen the devastating fallout of the fall of Roe, where 14 states have banned abortion, maternity wards are shutting down, and women are going septic because doctors are afraid to treat ectopic pregnancies, has decided it’s not enough.
Anyone paying attention knows he’d sign whatever ban Congress puts on his desk. But for those who haven’t been paying attention, this reporting is valuable. So please be sure to share it widely (here are some posts on Insta / Facebook / Threads / Bluesky to get you started).
Abortion bans are just the start
Folks need to understand that Trump will sign an abortion ban if he gets the chance. And they also need to understand -- as the next important story this week illustrates -- that a second Trump presidency will restrict our intimate, private family decisions in ways that go far beyond abortion rights.
An under-the-radar report from Politico this week revealed that one of Trump’s close advisors -- a strong contender for chief-of-staff in a second Trump administration -- is spearheading plans to infuse Christian Nationalist policies into a second term.
Like abortion bans, other policies associated with Christian Nationalism force the religious beliefs of a fervent minority on the entire population. Politico did not obtain the full details of the plan, but leaders of the project have publicly advocated for a rollback on marriage equality, attacks on trans rights, ending no-fault divorce, restricting access to contraception, and limiting treatment options for people struggling to get pregnant.
It’s common to hear disaffected voters say election outcomes won’t make a difference in their lives. Those voters need to know that a Trump win means a Christian Nationalist government that decides if, when, and how they start a family. Share the story to make sure they know (again, here are some posts on Insta / Facebook / Threads / Bluesky to help).
And for the skeptical…
We know that some will still dismiss the above as fake news, alarmism, and lib hysteria. A year before the Supreme Court tore up Roe, people were saying that would never happen either.
But we don’t need to rely on reporting about what a potential Trump administration plans to do, because we can look at what MAGA Republicans are doing right now where they hold power.
And that brings us to one final story from the week -- this one comes from Alabama, where the state Supreme Court dropped a shocking ruling declaring that embryos created through IVF are children under state law. This radical decision has already led to at least three IVF clinics pausing treatment, and patients left confused and scared about their care options and control over their own embryos.
It’s Christian Nationalism in practice. And the Court made no attempt to hide it. In his concurring opinion, the Chief Justice wrote:
“The theologically based view of the sanctity of life adopted by the People of Alabama encompasses the following: God made every person in His image…and human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God.”
Yikes.
So what do we do?
This stuff is undeniably scary. But here’s the good news: It’s also incredibly unpopular. The vast majority of Americans want abortion to be safe and legal. Where abortion is on the ballot, it wins over and over again.
Most voters have personal connections with people who’ve needed an abortion or fertility treatment, and good luck convincing people they should be forced to stay in bad marriages or lose access to the contraception they depend on.
Trump’s base thinks Christian Nationalism is cool (and that’s why he’ll support it, even if he can't name a single Bible verse), but two-thirds of Americans view it negatively.
So let’s make a lot of noise about this stuff. Share these links. Have conversations with people in your lives. Let’s draw the contrast for voters:
- Trump = Abortion bans and MAGA extremists enforcing their religious views on the most personal decisions you’ll ever have to make
- Biden + Democratic Trifecta = Reproductive freedom in all 50 states.
And then let’s do everything we can to turn out the voters on our side. Because the only way we’re going to avoid this dystopian future is if we win in November.
Two ways you can help make that happen:
Whatever you're feeling after this past week (fear, anger, outrage, come to mind), I want to remind you you're not alone. I think it's worth repeating here: The majority of people, when they hear about this stuff, they are also scared, angry, outraged. It's our job to get them mobilized -- and to keep fighting to protect all our rights, as long as it takes.
In solidarity,
Hannah Wheelwright
Indivisible Senior Policy Manager 
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