Trump has won the 2024 presidential election. What does this mean for reproductive rights?

In the early hours of November 6th, 2024, AP news called Trump as the winner of the 2024 presidential election against Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris had put reproductive rights at the forefront of her campaign. While in the months leading up to the election Trump denied connections with Project 2025 and opposition to abortion, his stance has shifted significantly after receiving backlash for his extreme positions. Trump had previously boasted about getting Roe v. Wade overturned, and repeatedly lied and misled people to think the reason people were opposed to it being up to the states was because democrats wanted to allow abortion “in the 9th month” and “after-birth execution”- all of which are radical lies and illegal.

One major concern is Trumps enforcement of the Comstock Act. Passed in 1873, the law bans abortion related items from being sent by mail such as pills and medical tools. While the law has not been in effective for decades, it is a prevalent concern that Trump may use this law to further restrict abortion access. He has publicly denied that he would use it, but even Vice President JD Vance has endorsed it as a tool to limit abortion access.

Additionally, Republicans have extreme power in congress right now, with them controlling Senate and now possibly the House, they are able to pass many conservative laws. Trumps appointments for his cabinet will also affect the future of abortion. Appointing anti-abortion leaders to the Department of Health and Human Services, The Food and Drug Adminstration, and the Department of Justice would allow them to target access to abortion pills and procedures.

His election also ensures further appointments in the Supreme Court. His last appointments overturned Roe v. Wade and they have considered other extreme conservative ideas that would take the rights of Americans away further.

Trumps ever changing messages on his stance on abortion leaves citizens questioning his true intentions, however one can reasonably conclude based on past comments and his only switching stances right before the election that he will subtly or even overtly continue to restrict access to abortion. His administration is likely to rely on judicial and federal agencies to curtail abortion access.