GOP’s Latest Abortion Strategy: Sound Pro-‘Choice’

“It’s crucial for Republican candidates to present themselves as reasonable and empathetic,” one GOP pollster said.

Trump, Kari Lake
Both Donald Trump and Kari Lake have said recently that abortion is a personal issue. Matt York/AP

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade almost two years ago, GOP officials have gone from supporting a national limit on abortion to saying it’s a state issue, to avoiding talking about abortion and focusing on “pro-family” values, to now saying that abortion is a personal and private issue — the main argument of the abortion rights movement.

“You must follow your heart,” former President Donald Trump said in a video posted on Truth Social earlier this month. “Do what’s right for your family, and do what’s right for yourself. Do what’s right for your children.”

Trump has multiple times bragged about his role in overturning Roe (including in that video), previously backed a 20-week federal ban when he was in office and recently said abortion should be left to the states and their voters.