Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) recently pushed back against Senator JD Vance’s (R-Ohio) assertion that former President Donald Trump would veto a federal abortion ban if re-elected and such a bill landed on his desk.
In an interview on NBC News’s “Meet the Press,” Warren dismissed Vance’s claim, stating, “American women are not naive, and we will not rely on leaders who have openly declared their intention to restrict abortion access nationwide.” This response came after Vance suggested that Trump would not support a federal abortion ban and would instead prefer the issue to be decided by individual states.
Warren argued that even if Trump and Vance are against a federal ban, abortion access could still be at risk. She pointed out that some Republicans are pushing to enforce the Comstock Act—a law from the 19th century that prohibits mailing abortion-related materials, though it hasn’t been used for this purpose in over a century. Warren expressed concern that reviving this law could threaten abortion access across the country.
While Trump and Vance have both stated they do not support using the Comstock Act to impose nationwide abortion restrictions, they advocate for states to decide their own abortion policies. However, Warren highlighted that Vance was involved in a recent effort to urge the Department of Justice to enforce the Comstock Act to halt mail-order abortion services. She expressed doubt about the GOP’s commitment to protecting abortion rights, pointing to Vance’s actions as evidence of their true intentions.
In response to Kristen Welker’s question about whether she trusts the GOP’s promises, Warren said, “The facts speak for themselves. JD Vance pushed for the enforcement of the Comstock Act and was then chosen by Trump as his vice-presidential running mate.” She concluded that to ensure abortion access is protected, a Democratic Congress must pass legislation that can be signed by Vice President Kamala Harris. “This is the only way we can guarantee that women will not be denied the medical care they need in emergency situations,” Warren added.