(LifeSiteNews) — Former President and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump endorsed the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent dismissal of a challenge to the Biden administration’s abortion pill rules during Thursday’s first presidential debate, stating he will not block abortion pills if elected.
At one point during the debate, Trump was asked if his administration would act to block access to abortion pills, one of the Biden administration’s primary tactics for circumventing the overturn of Roe v. Wade, for which Trump went on to take credit via the three Supreme Court nominees he appointed.
“First of all, the Supreme Court just approved the abortion pill, and I agree with their decision to have done that, and I will not block it,” Trump said, before touting the return of abortion policy to the state level as leading to the country “now coming together on this issue” and condemning the Democrats for rejecting any limits on abortion.
READ: Supreme Court rejects pro-life challenge to Biden FDA’s abortion pill scheme
TRUMP ON WHETHER HE’D BLOCK ABORTION PILL: “I will not block it.”#DebateNight #debate #Biden #Trump #DEBAT #Debates2024 pic.twitter.com/0Gg7AHUtbh
— Breaking News (@TheNewsTrending) June 28, 2024
Trump was referring to the Supreme Court’s dismissal earlier this month of a pro-life challenge to the Biden administration’s guidance letting abortion pills be distributed by mail in violation of federal law, which pro-lifers had hoped might also revisit the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) original approval of mifepristone in 2000 and subsequent relaxation of the cutoff point for taking it from seven to 10 weeks.
Several prominent pro-lifers took issue with Trump’s comments, which raise questions as to what his federal health agencies will look like in a second term, while others focused on the 100% pro-abortion position embraced by Biden:
Trump must block the abortion pill if elected. It was unlawfully approved and has killed millions of American children.
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) June 28, 2024
Trump’s policy: ok with killing most babies. Biden’s policy: ok with killing all. Not a very great contrast.
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) June 28, 2024
Hey @realDonaldTrump, I think you need a pro-life leader in your debate prep. Not what SCOTUS said…
— Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) June 28, 2024
I want clean water too, @realDonaldTrump —- that’s why chemically-tainted blood, placental tissue, and remains of babies must be stopped from entering our waterways via chemical abortion pills.
C‘mon Man!
— Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) June 28, 2024
We have a candidate showing up to the Presidential Debate tonight who has no problem with children in the womb being killed up until birth. He’s currently the president of the United States.
He should be disqualified for the job on that alone.
— Dr. Abby Johnson (@AbbyJohnson) June 27, 2024
For the past year, Trump has worked to stake out a “middle ground” on abortion of closing the door on further federal action, urging state laws to contain exceptions for rape, incest, and “medical emergencies,” embracing embryo-destructive in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, and contrasting himself against Democrats’ support for late-term abortion and infanticide. The about-face has caused consternation among pro-lifers, while most continue to accept him as preferable to the Democrats’ virtually unlimited abortion-on-demand alternative.
Most reactions to the debate have focused on widespread panic in Democrat circles over incumbent President Joe Biden’s performance, throughout which the elderly commander-in-chief appeared tired and frequently struggled to express himself clearly. The spectacle reinforced serious ongoing concerns over Biden’s age and mental health and exacerbated deep dissatisfaction with his overall job performance.
National polling aggregations by RealClearPolitics and RaceToTheWH continue to indicate a razor-thin popular vote between Trump and Biden, albeit with Trump’s leads in swing states translating to a seemingly durable Electoral College advantage.