Joni Ernst Says GOP, Trump ‘Worked Very Hard’ To Overturn Abortion Rights
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Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst has weighed in on the decision of the Arizona Supreme Court to allow an 1864 near-total abortion ban to take effect.
The controversial law allows exceptions only if the pregnant person’s life is deemed at risk and includes jail time for providers who perform the medical procedure.
In an interview with Fox Business, Ernst seemed to suggest that the court’s decision is a direct result of Republican efforts to get Roe v. Wade overturned, making special note of former President Donald Trump’s role in the outcome.
“I am a mom, I am a brand new grandma, and I support life,” Ernst told Larry Kudlow. “And Senate Republicans, the GOP and President Trump really worked hard to overturn Roe v. Wade.”
Ernst said that the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs in June 2022 means that abortion will be dealt with on the state level going forward.
“We returned that back to the states; that is the law of the land with that Supreme Court decision, so the states are handling that,” Ernst said. “But again, we worked very hard to get this result. Now, the states will take that up.”
Sen. Joni Ernst: "Senate Republicans, the GOP, and President Trump really worked hard to overturn Roe v Wade" pic.twitter.com/MGKgM0Gcgj
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 9, 2024
But on Wednesday former President Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s nominee for the 2024 presidential election, tried to distance himself from Arizona high court’s ruling.
Asked if the decision “went too far,” Trump told reporters: “Yeah they did, and that will be straightened out.”
However, Arizona Republicans blocked an effort by Democrats in the state to get the law repealed in both chambers of the legislature, prompting outrage.
“By their actions, the message from this chamber is that they are so pro-life they will kill you,” Democratic state Sen. Anna Hernandez wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Parties now have two weeks to file legal claims in hopes of stopping the law from taking hold.
Despite Trump’s opposition to the Arizona legislation, his position on the issue of abortion remains murky as he recognizes the GOP’s stance on abortion has proven to be unpopular with voters.
In a video statement Monday meant to clarify his position on abortion ahead of the 2024 presidential race, Trump said he supports leaving abortion up to the states to decide as he took direct credit for setting the state for the reversal of Roe by appointing three conservative Supreme Court justices during his time in office.
“My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state,” he said.
On Wednesday, Trump said “no” when asked if he would sign a national abortion ban if he returned to the White House. Still, he didn’t specifically rule out implementing a back door ban. Additionally, Trump made no reference to how he would handle a bill imposing a nationwide ban on the procedure in his lengthy Monday statement.
Despite his preference to appear evasive on the issue, his track record speaks for itself, Michael Tyler, a spokesperson for Biden’s reelection campaign, said.
“Trump lies constantly ― about everything ― but has one track record: banning abortion every chance he gets,” Tyler said.
During his time in office, he with anti-choice leaders who support a nationwide ban, and also tried to make it harder for people to get access to medication abortion, among other things.
