Democrats gear up to 'hammer' Trump relentlessly following Arizona Supreme Court bombshell

11 April 2024

Republicans have been in damage-control mode following an Arizona Supreme Court decision handed down on Tuesday, April 9, when the justices upheld a draconian 1864 law that outlaws abortion in almost all cases. The law, which was passed when Arizona was still a territory and was 48 years away from achieving statehood, is even more severe than Florida's six-week abortion ban.

Kari Lake, the far-right MAGA Republican and conspiracy theorist who is running for the U.S. Senate seat presently held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Arizona), has come out against the Arizona Supreme Court ruling — although her critics are accusing her of flip-flopping. And former President Donald Trump has said that the decision goes too far.

But Democrats, including President Joe Biden, are stressing that Trump — by helping pave the way for the overturning of Roe v. Wade — made the enforcement of Arizona's 1864 law possible.

In an article published on April 11, Politico reporters Adam Cancryn, Elena Schneider and Jennifer Haberkorn detail a key part of the Biden campaign's anti-Trump strategy: "hammer" Trump relentlessly on the abortion issue, highlighting, in videos, women who have been personally affected by anti-abortion laws.

"A constellation of Democrat-aligned groups focused on women and reproductive rights — including Emily's List, Planned Parenthood and abortion rights group Reproductive Freedom for All — are aiding efforts to link Trump to the rollback of reproductive freedoms," the reporters explain. "As they chart out the campaign, these groups must contend with the role Biden himself will play in delivering their arguments."

Democratic messaging on abortion, they report, "will heavily feature Trump's own words, tying him to appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade."

Democratic strategist Martha McKenna told Politico, "Trump, who has tried to constantly change his position on abortion — the Biden campaign has to really tag him with his own words. And we have plenty of ammo to do that because we know he wants to outlaw abortion."

In one campaign ad, Biden promises to "fight like hell" for abortion rights and give American women "your freedom back."

Abortion proved to be a strong issue for Democrats in the 2022 midterms. Democrats in key swing states, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, aggressively campaigned on abortion rights and defeated anti-abortion Republicans by double digits.

Trump has hailed the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization as a victory for states' rights. But his critics, including Biden, are pointing to the Arizona Supreme Court ruling as a prime example of the damage that state governments are inflicting when it comes to abortion.

Democratic strategist Eric Hyers told Politico, "Trump says this should be up to states. Now, Arizona makes it completely illegal, says that doctors can go to jail. So, this is what that means. It's about the real-world implications."

Read Politico's full report at this link.

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