Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH), one of the favorites to be Donald Trump's vice presidential pick, has caused fury among some Republicans after saying he supports access to the abortion pill mifepristone.
Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press on Monday, the possible Trump running mate said he backs the abortion pill being publicly accessible. He also said Trump supported access to it.
The comments distance Vance and Trump from pro-life Republicans who wish to see access to abortions restricted. Polling suggests that most Americans believe abortion should be legal in the early stages of pregnancy, and it is likely to be a key issue in November's election.
Another possible Trump running mate, Marco Rubio, also said that he backs the former president's plan to remove a federal abortion plan from the Republican platform.
Christian author and podcaster Steve Deace condemned Vance's and Rubio's positions on X, formerly Twitter, accusing Vance of being "sad and morally repugnant/sinful."
This is very sad and morally repugnant/sinful from Vance. Mifepristone/chemical/tele-med is how two-thirds of babies are murdered in America nowadays. But also like Rubio, he's doing this to be Trump's running mate because it's what Trump wants. https://t.co/WEmgKEK427
— Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) July 8, 2024
Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis replied writing "this is how unprincipled power-hungry people operate."
This is how unprincipled power-hungry people operate. https://t.co/23jatMCHn4
— Jenna Ellis (@realJennaEllis) July 8, 2024
Commentator Ben Zeisloft, lead editor at right-wing news site The Sentinel, wrote that, in supporting accessibility to abortion pills, Vance was "selling his soul" to try and secure the vice presidential nomination.
This is a video of a man selling his soul.
— Ben Zeisloft (@BenZeisloft) July 8, 2024
The empty and cold eyes.
The rehearsed talking points.
The shameless endorsement of baby murder.
JD Vance claims to be a Christian. But now he suddenly wants abortion pills, by which two-thirds of abortions occur in our land, to be... https://t.co/TDcuSis5OD
Vance's office declined to comment further when approached by Newsweek.
Vance and Rubio's comments come after a June ruling in which the Supreme Court unanimously rejected an effort to restrict mifepristone brought by the anti-abortion group Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine.
It was the Supreme Court's first major ruling on reproductive rights since its landmark decision in 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade, a 50-year-old ruling that gave federal protection to a pregnant woman's right to choose to have an abortion.
Mifepristone was approved by the FDA in 2000 and can continue to be dispensed through pharmacies and mail delivery. It is used in more than 60 percent of U.S. abortions.
Trump has held many positions about abortions over the years, including in 2016 saying that if abortions were not legal then women seeking one should be subject to "some form of punishment." He has taken a more moderate position since 2022, when the overturning of Roe v. Wade contributed to Republicans suffering heavy losses in the midterms.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Update 07/08/24, 11:25 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and the headline was amended.
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